where there's despair
by anarchx-kestrel
Summary: (let me bring hope) A light is born from darkness. Midoriya Izuku will become a hero in spite of, or maybe because of, his father, because he will save people. He will take his destiny in his hands and shape it how he pleases. (or: once upon a time, Midoriya Inko was in love with the greatest villain the world has ever seen, and then she wasn't)
1. please get him some pants

**Warnings for this chapter: negative self-talk, the sludge villain doing sludge villain things, a man is naked but nothing pervy i promise, implied/referenced bullying and discrimination**

**this starts right in medias res so have fun**

Izuku's fingers and hands twitch as he walks, making aborted motions towards the pocket his phone is in. He could call his mom, he could call his friends, he could call his mentor, he could call any number of people to come pick him up, he could at least talk to them so he wouldn't have to be alone with his thoughts. His thoughts, which are not nice. His thoughts, which are _never_ nice, which are worse than usual.

_"Are you so ashamed of your quirk you'd rather be _quirkless_!?"_

No.

No, he isn't, they don't understand that it's just _safer_ for him this way, even if he is singled out by his classmates, even if he is targeted by them for his refusal to show them his quirk.

_They'd hate him even if he showed them his quirk._

Ugh. He shakes his head, the motion growing into a full-body shake, snapping him out of his thoughts. He really needs to pay attention to his surroundings, considering that he hadn't even noticed that he'd made it almost all the way to the tunnel while lost in his thoughts.

Oh, the tunnel. It always makes the back of his neck prickle, walking into it alone. It'd be the perfect place to get murdered, if Musutafu had _murderers_.

Well, sure, there were probably some, but it was overall a safe area to live.

That's what Izuku tells himself, anyways, as the slime monster bursts out of the sewer. He always knew he was going to get murdered in this tunnel.

"Ah, a medium-sized invisibility cloak!" The slime villain's voice is harsh and crackly, like maybe his vocal cords are made of slime? That's probable, actually. The quirk has to be either a mutation or transformation quirk—Izuku has to hope for the transformation option here, since there's not much he can do with mutations—

He doesn't have time to consider it any further as said slime villain is _on_ him and _in_ him, trying to pour its way in through his mouth and nostrils. Whelp. Time to hope for the best, he thinks, as he raises his right hand and digs all five fingers into the slime.

Well, _something_ had to go right, as streaks of red energy shoot out from where Izuku's fingers made contact with the slime, snaking their way through the gunk and turning it to dust until all that's left is a man, naked and pale-skinned, standing in front of him.

"Wha-? What? I? What the _fuck_?" The naked man is plain-looking, with short brown hair and dark eyes that are filled with fury and surprise. "Did you? My _quirk_!? My quirk is gone!"

"Uh…" Izuku says, holding his hands up on either side of his head. "No, no, it's temporary!" He takes one step backwards, and then another, moving slowly but still _moving_.

"What do you mean, _temporary_," the villain snarls, taking a step towards Izuku. "You took my quirk!"

"No! I _negated_ it!" Izuku corrects. See, this is why his classmates would hate him even if he showed them his quirk.

And, of course, that's the moment that _All Might_ bursts out of the sewer.

"Never fear, for **_I AM HERE_**!" Oh, it's like looking at the sun. There's a solid moment where All Might's striking his pose before he notices the naked man who's screaming that this middle schooler stole his quirk. Oh boy.

"Excuse me," All Might says, looking at Izuku, "was this man previously made of slime?"

"Yes," Izuku replies. He was made out of _stinky_ slime, too, even worse, since there's still some on Izuku, in his nose, in his _throat_, oh, he shudders just _thinking_ about it.

"Ah! And did your quirk… do this?"

The blood in Izuku's veins turns to ice at that question. "…Yes?" he replies, staring at his shoes. There's a moment, where he feels All Might looking between him and the man who's, smartly, shut up.

"It's not permanent, I hope?"

"No!" Izuku's reply this time is almost immediate as he takes a panicked step forwards, towards All Might, with his hands held up, semi-placatingly. "No it's not! It's called Negation, it'll wear off in about half an hour to an hour, I think, based on how long I was in contact for. I was just lucky it was a transformation quirk rather than a mutation quirk because I think he might've _killed_ me…" He trails off, noticing All Might looking at him, a sort of… unreadable expression on his face. So Izuku steps back, feeling his shoulders hunch, feeling as he starts to curl in on himself.

He catches himself, forces his shoulders straight, because this is _All Might_ and he doesn't want to be some sort of… wilting daisy in front of him.

"That's… quite the quirk there, young man! It's very unique!"

And, honestly, Izuku doesn't know _what_ possesses him as the next words come out of his mouth. "Yeah, it's, uh, I'm related to Eraserhead!"

That seems to be the ticket, though, because All Might's expression seems to lighten. "Ah! Yes! I see! Well then! If you're okay, then I'll be taking this villain off your hands!"

"Please get him some pants," is all Izuku can say in reply, prompting All Might to laugh.

"I'll take care of all that, don't you worry!" He grabs the villain by his forearm and walks out of the tunnel before leaping into the air, leaving Izuku to watch.

Oh, no, now he has to tell Aizawa that he told the Number One Hero that they were related. Hopefully he'll be more amused than anything?

His mother is _not _amused. Not about the thing where Izuku told the Number One Hero he's related to Aizawa, no, she's not amused when he comes home covered in gunk.

"Please tell me you didn't fall in a ditch," she says, looking him up and down, her arms crossed. "Or get _pushed_ in?"

"There weren't any ditches involved!" Izuku replies, holding his hands up. "Promise!"

"Then why are you covered in nasty sludge?"

"Well, there was this villain," he says, reaching back to tug on the hair at the back of his neck. "This guy made of slime. Luckily it was just a transformation quirk, though! He was quite surprised. And quite naked…" he mutters the last part, shuddering.

"A _villain_?" his mother asks, her voice dropping. "Do you think-?"

"No," Izuku shakes his head. "I think he was trying to, like, hide _in_ me to get away or something."

"He _what_," and at that tone of voice, Izuku finally looks over to his mother, who looks like she might just go find this villain and murder him herself. "_How _was he doing that?"

"Uh…"

At his non-answer, his mother sighs and reaches up to rub her temple. "Alright," she says. "Anything else I should know?"

"Well, uh, All Might was involved, but he only got there after I negated the sludge guy's quirk," Izuku replies. "And I… I may have told him I'm related to Mr. Aizawa when he asked me about my quirk." That last sentence comes out in a tumble of words, ejected from his mouth as fast as possible.

His mother, well-versed in translating Izuku's lightspeed speech, pauses a moment to process, and then bursts out laughing.

Izuku stares at her, eyes wide, fingers twisted in his hair as she laughs. It takes her several tries to regain her sense, breathing hard.

"I'm sorry, Izuku," she says. "That just… caught me off-guard. The thought of asking him if we can do that has crossed my mind, before, but…"

But how do you ask your child's mentor if he'd be down to pretend to be family just to explain why Izuku's quirk is the way it is without telling him exactly why they want that cover?

"We'll have to talk to him about it, then," his mother says. "We can't leave him to be blindsided by that. Go get cleaned up and I'll invite him and Hizashi over for dinner." Disregarding the muck, she reaches up to run a hand through his hair before giving him a gentle shove back towards his room.

One hot shower later and Izuku's feeling slightly more human as he puts on a clean pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt (that appropriately has _t-shirt_ printed on it, in English. Hisashi had brought it for his thirteenth birthday, along with several others that had it printed in Greek, Italian, and Russian that he'd picked up when he was doing a lot of work in Europe, in particular).

(It's kind of funny, how many languages t-shirt is just… t-shirt in.)

Cleaned up and now wearing comfortable clothes, Izuku carries his backpack (he'd wiped it down before showering. He _is_ capable of thinking ahead, occasionally) into the dining room, where he sets it down and pulls his homework out, spreading his papers and books across the table. It's mostly math, because his math teacher is _cruel_ and decided they all needed a week's worth of homework at once.

(He jests, really, but it's seriously a lot of homework and with the sludge villain interruption and the addition of having Aizawa and Yamada over for dinner and then training at the dojo with Mashirao and his moms… Izuku has a _full schedule_ today that _really_ didn't need a villain attack in it.)

He's somehow, _miraculously_, almost done with his math when Yamada throws the door open.

"Midoriyaaas!" he greets. His hair's still wet, the gel all freshly washed out. Aizawa follows behind him, slouching in with his hands buried in the pocket of his hoodie and looking like he just woke up. Maybe he did—the man's sleep schedule is a mess.

"Hello, Hizashi," Inko calls from the kitchen as Aizawa closes the door behind them. Izuku smiles and waves before turning back to his homework, and Inko continues speaking. "How were the students today?"

"Shouta expelled one of mine!" Yamada replies, heading into the kitchen to talk to Inko while Aizawa walks over to the kitchen table and sits down.

He doesn't say anything, and neither does Izuku. It had taken him some time to learn to be comfortable with the empty space that tends to occur around Aizawa, but now he finds it simple to just keep working on his math and exist in the same space without small talk.

Yamada's still going strong talking about the circumstances that led to Aizawa expelling one of his students as he helps Inko carry the dishes to the table. Izuku quickly jots down the last answer and clears his papers and books off the table back into his backpack, just in time, and he jumps up to help carry the food out.

There are a couple minutes where the four of them are just eating before Inko speaks.

"So," she says, setting down her chopsticks and folding her hands. "Izuku had a personal encounter with a villain today."

There's a choking noise as Yamada almost inhales his food, and Aizawa's the first of the two to reply. "And you didn't _lead_ with this?"

She doesn't deign to respond to that. "Izuku, why don't you tell them what happened?"

Izuku drops his chopsticks and buries his face in his hands. He can feel the rush of blood to his face. Oh, his mom is the _worst_, don't let her sweet mom façade fool you, she's just throwing him to the wolves like this…

"Well?" Yamada prompts, voice a little rough.

"So," Izuku begins, lifting his face from his hands so that they stand a chance of understanding him. "I was walking home from school and I went through the tunnel, the one I've _known_ that I'm _definitely_ gonna get murdered in, and this guy made of slime comes out of the sewer and says something about… invisibility cloaks and getting out of town, I don't know, I was trying to figure out his quirk—transformation or mutation, you know? And luckily it was transformation so Negation worked on him and he was naked and _then_ All Might shows up." Izuku has to take a breath here, but the three adults wait. "And so there's this naked guy here screaming about me stealing his quirk and All Might's like _what's up_ and I'm like _this slime guy attacked me_ and he's like _did your quirk do that_ and I'm like _yeah_ so he's like," Izuku breathes again, "_is it permanent_, and I'm like, _no, of course not_, and he's like, _oh, that's a unique quirk!_, and then I," Izuku's words quit, full stop, as he covers his face again. He mumbles, "I told him I'm related to Eraserhead," but it's mumbled directly into the palms of his hands so it's probably completely unintelligible.

"What was that?" Yamada asks. Yep, unintelligible, so Izuku lifts his head out of his hands and tries again.

"I told him I'm related to Eraserhead," he says, but halfway through his courage petered out so the last three words were just mush, and Yamada looks confused, Aizawa is as deadpan as always, and his mother looks _way_ too amused at his misfortune.

"I _still_ didn't catch that," Yamada says, and Izuku throws his head back, groaning.

"I told him I'm related to Eraserhead! I panicked!"

A moment.

"Huh," Aizawa says.

"Huh?" Izuku asks, whipping his head around to look at his mentor. "What do you mean, _huh_?"

Aizawa shrugs. "It definitely makes sense, on the surface. Our quirks are _very_ similar."

"And your hair!" Yamada pipes up, gesturing wildly between Izuku and Aizawa's heads. "You have similar hair!"

"His hair is green," Aizawa says, looking over at his husband from the corners of his eyes.

"_Dark_ green, and it's _really_ messy!"

"Because it's curly and he's always messing with it."

"Just like _you!_"

Aizawa sighs and rolls his eyes. "So. You told All Might that we're related. _Why_?"

"I panicked!" Izuku replies. Hopefully they'll leave it at that?

"So you said," Aizawa agrees, but there's a look in his eyes that Izuku _knows_. He's not getting out of this without explaining _something_.

There is, apparently, _some_ goodness in his mother as she intervenes. "It has to do with his father. His biological father, not Hisashi," she says. She pauses, biting at her lip. "It's… probably better for people to _think_ that we're related to you, in all honesty, than to… have that question mark of where Izuku's quirk came from."

The room goes quiet for a few moments, as Aizawa and Yamada both think. Izuku sits there, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt, until Aizawa shrugs and speaks.

"Alright," he says. "What do you suggest?"

Izuku still can't read his expression, not really, but something's… softened in it, he thinks.

"I should… ask you," Inko replies. "After all, I don't know your family history. I don't know how we'd fit into it."

Aizawa doesn't reply immediately. "Well. I have a giant question mark of my own. My biological family is completely unknown."

"You could be her secret younger brother," Izuku says, leaning forward with his forearms on the table, framing his plate.

"That…" Inko frowns. "That stands a chance of working. My mother was young when she had me, so having another child ten or fifteen years later wouldn't be beyond the realm of possibility, and neither of my parents were very faithful to each other."

"So I'm a bastard, then," Aizawa says, drawing a round of chuckles from around the table.

"You come by it honestly," Inko replies. "You could have been born on one of the many trips my mother took for… business."

"Sure," Aizawa replies. "So I'm your younger half-brother, the result of your, I'm sorry, _our_ mother's affair, and…" He frowns. "How do we find out?"

"She left some files behind that I recently found which explained what happened as well as pointed me in your direction," Inko says. "And, if you're worried about her disputing this, both of my parents are dead, so you don't need to."

That provokes an eyebrow raise from Aizawa, but other than that, he takes it in stride.

"And, naturally, she doesn't leave any hint who the biological father is," he adds.

"That all seems pretty tight!" Yamada says. His eyes are bright as he looks over the group, his hands laced together with his chin resting on them and his elbows on the table.

"It should hold up to preliminary questioning," Aizawa agrees.

And that's the end of it, for now, since Izuku needs to finish eating so that he gets to the dojo in time.

If asked what martial art he studies, Izuku wouldn't be able to give any single answer. His teachers all come from an eclectic background, ergo he has an eclectic education. Out of all of them, Ojiro Kazue came the closest to having a traditional background, whereas Isozaki Sami had synthesized a style all her own from a variety of sources.

Isozaki's the one leading the class tonight, standing at the entrance of the building and talking with parents dropping their kids off. While not the same social butterfly her wife is, she's made good friends with the parents of _this_ particular class over the years.

_This_ particular class referring to the class for hero hopefuls, like Izuku, like Isozaki's own son, Mashirao, who's standing at the back of the dojo, a wide smile on his face as the other students assemble.

There's no particular dress code for this class, _especially_ not when Isozaki's in charge, so there's everything from Mashirao in his traditional Gi to Izuku with his sweats and T-shirt to Nakano, who's wearing her volleyball uniform. As long as they're wearing clothes they can move freely and safely in, they're allowed to wear anything.

There's six students in total in this class: Izuku and Mashirao, of course, and then Nakano Wakana, Shibayama Ichihei, Roka Aomi, and Koizumi Hiraku, every single one determined to become a hero.

Mashirao greets Izuku with a wave and a warm smile. Izuku smiles and waves, back, joining Mashirao and Nakano in waiting for the other three students.

"You will not _believe_ what happened to me," he says.

"Oh, what?" Mashirao asks, and Izuku's smile sharpens, a little bit.

"Well, you need to wait so I can tell Ichihei, Aomi, and Koizumi, too," he replies.

Mashirao groans. "You can't just _do _this to me!"

Izuku laughs, feeling some of the stress lift away with his friends.

**x-posted on ao3, username Orkestrations**


	2. can i get a YEEEAAHHHH

**warnings for this chapter: caps lock (only a couple sentences)**

Out of all his friends who are training to be heroes, Izuku's the only one pinning all his dreams on one school.

_"You know, U.A.'s not the only hero school that exists," Aizawa said, watching Izuku with narrowed eyes as the teenager drizzled water over his head during a break in training._

_"I know." Simple. Short. Sweet. What Izuku didn't say was: I know what path to take at U.A., I know I can make it in because I'm smart enough, I know I can make it._

_Somehow, all of that made its way into his two-word answer anyways, and he's taking one last quick drink of his water before jogging back to Aizawa._

Everyone else is applying for multiple schools, aiming to gain admission to as many as possible and then pick the best of the lot.

(Izuku hopes at least one or two of them ends up at U.A. with him.)

So, given that, and given his friend group's particular array of quirks, he finds himself in good company as he arrives at U.A.'s General Studies entrance exam. Nakano and Koizumi are both waiting outside the doors for him. Koizumi grins wide and waves, the metal of his finger braces glinting in the sunlight.

"We're all going to kill it on this test!" he says, fist pumping. "Right?"

"Right!" Izuku and Nakano snap back, both well-acquainted with Koizumi's pumped-up personality.

With that said and done, all three turn and walk inside together, joining the flow of middle schoolers heading towards the auditorium, where the exam will be passed out. They had already submitted their personal essays online, so that was at least part of the exam they didn't need to stress over anymore.

By the time 10:00 rolls around, the auditorium is packed with what must be hundreds, if not over a thousand, students. There's a roar of noise as they all chat with each other, and Izuku hunches down, his hands over his ears and wishing he'd thought ahead enough to bring his earplugs.

He's saved, however, by the arrival of Yamada in all his Present Mic-shaped glory, his hair gelled back in true cockatoo style, shining in his all-leather ensemble.

"CAN I GET A **_YEEEEEAAAAH_**?"

"_YEAH_!" Izuku screams back at full volume, one of only a few (and definitely the loudest).

"AW YEAH! YOU'RE THE REAL ONES! NOW, I'M SURE YOU ALL KNOW HOW ENTRANCE EXAMS GO, BUT I NEED TO EXPLAIN THE DIRECTIONS ANYWAYS SO I'LL KEEP THIS SHORT AND SWEET."

As Present Mic explains the exam, assistants (probably General Studies students looking to get some quick money) make their way through the auditorium, passing out the exams 'take one pass 'em down' style. Izuku takes his, passes the rest down, and then focuses back on Present Mic's presentation.

And then, the start command is given.

Nakano is stretching her arms over her head as the three friends walk out of U.A. together.

"Ugh, and I thought the Ketsubutsu and Shiketsu exams were difficult," she says, scrunching her face up and shaking her head. "That was like one of Ms. Isozaki's Hell Days in exam form."

"I didn't find it so bad," Izuku says, and then immediately feels his face heat up as he leans back. "Not to brag! Or make it seem like you should've found it easier!"

"We get it," Koizumi says, putting a hand on Izuku's shoulder and smiling as Izuku turns to look up at him. "Thanks for all the help studying for the math portion, though, that saved my hide!"

"Ah, yeah! Of course! Anytime!" Izuku replies, grinning back at Koizumi. "I'm sure you both passed, though!"

"Thanks." Nakano smiles at him, small and with hidden teeth. Izuku smiles back and bounces on the balls of his feet as he walks, sandwiched, in between his friends. Something flutters in his chest, light and bright, and he recognizes it for what it is: delight. Love, probably. Excitement.

Izuku can't _wait_ to see what the future brings.

(The Izuku of a few years ago could barely even see a future, so overall? He's doing pretty great now.)

The three teenagers take the train together, heading directly to the dojo where their parents, Kazue, and Isozaki are waiting.

Actually, Inko's not the only one waiting for Izuku. Standing next to her is a tall, fair-skinned person with shaggy black hair (not too dissimilar to Aizawa's, in all honesty), and as Izuku comes over, their lips quirk up.

"So? How was the test?" they ask. "As difficult as you were expecting it to be?"

"It was great!" Izuku replies. Honestly, it feels like his face is going to split open with all the smiling he's been doing. "I feel like it went really well!"

"That's great to hear." They reach down to ruffle Izuku's hair, and he leans into the touch, relishing in the rare contact from this particular mentor. See, this is Yonaga Noeru, a retired underground pro, introduced to Izuku via his former classmate Isozaki. Yonaga is also the person who introduced Aizawa to Izuku and maybe, almost definitely, saved his life.

So, Izuku goes home that afternoon with his mom, who convinces Yonaga to come with them for tea, and then talks them into staying for dinner. (He doesn't think it was very hard to talk them into either thing.)

_About three or four years before, Isozaki Sami had walked into the dojo, a tall person with long, dark hair and a prominent limp following her. She walked over to where an eleven-year-old Midoriya was practicing forms and said, "there's someone you should meet". That day, she introduced newly retired Yonaga Noeru to an eleven-year-old she wasn't quite sure how to help, maybe saving both their lives in the process._

Izuku spends the week waiting for his results with his friends and teachers. Mashirao, Aomi, and Ichihei are also waiting for their results from the Hero Course exams, so the six can all angst over the wait time together.

The three who tried out for the Hero Course are also not reserved to share their stories from it.

"So, for the practical exam, you had to destroy these robots, and you got points based on how many of which kind you destroyed," Aomi says. She then presses her hands together, like a prayer, and looks up to the sky, relief written all over her face. "I was so, _so_ lucky there was a fake canal in my exam center!"

"Lucky," Ichihei mutters, shaking their head. A couple leaves come loose, drifting to the ground. "I was stuck in the same exam center as this guy with explosion hands, and I could barely do anything because everything was on _fire_." Izuku cringes at the mention of Bakugou. Maybe there was some other guy with explosion hands, but for some reason, he really doubted that.

"Ooh," Aomi winces. "Wish you'd been with me. I would've put out all those fires, and then doused splodey-hands for good measure!"

"I'm pretty sure they'd take points off, or fail you, for sabotaging fellow examinees," Mashirao counters. He leans back on his tail, letting it hold him up. "Oh! Did we mention the zero-pointers yet?"

"Zero-pointers?" Izuku asks, leaning in. Nakano and Koizumi both do as well.

"So, during the instructions, Present Mic told us that we should just avoid the zero-point robots, since they're worth zero points, without bothering to mention the fact that they're as tall as a ten-story building!" Aomi says, gesturing wide with her hands when she gets to the part about their size.

"I am," Koizumi says, "so glad I didn't take the Hero Course exams." Meanwhile, Izuku chuckles, because that sounds like something that Present Mic would _definitely_ do without any sort of prompting.

"Stop laughing at our misfortune!" Aomi says, smacking Izuku's arm. Except she's laughing, and the smack is gentle, and Izuku laughs harder.

Izuku's mother takes her fake-older-sister duties seriously. Maybe it's just an excuse to get to know the people who are going to be teaching Izuku better, maybe it's because she seriously cares for Aizawa and Yamada, and maybe it's just because she likes having people around, sitting at her table and talking and enjoying life.

Anyways, ever since establishing the Aizawa-is-Izuku's-Uncle cover, she's instituted a weekly dinner-and-game night with Aizawa and Yamada and, occasionally, their friends (most notably Kayama Nemuri, Iida Tensei, and Fukukado Emi).

That week, it was Kayama and Iida tagging along.

"Hey, I heard that _yeah_ in the auditorium," Kayama says as she walks past Izuku. "Good job. Mic needs constant validation, or his hair will wilt."

"Nemuri!" Yamada's protest is, naturally, louder than Iida's laughter and Izuku's snort. (He maybe hears Aizawa, also, snort, really quietly but even if he didn't, he's definitely amused.)

"Well, try this for constant validation," Izuku says, "my friends who took the Hero Course exams were telling me about them, and they told me about the zero-pointers and the way you completely undersold them. That was great! I'm so glad it wasn't me."

"Aww!" Yamada grins. "Honestly, underselling the Biggest of the Big Bads is part of the exam, but I'm still glad it amused you!"

Soon enough, the six of them are seated around the table together, eating. Conversation is light, with the adults avoiding work talk as much as possible and Izuku avoiding school talk. Instead, he talks about his friends at the dojo, the people he chats with on the hero forums (and occasionally some interesting theories and analyses he finds there), really, anything but school.

Kayama's actually the first one to bring up work that night, as Izuku and Iida work together to clear the table.

"Okay," she says, leaning forward and smacking her hands down on the table, far apart from each other. "What I'm about to say _cannot_ leave this room."

Aizawa groans. "_Nemuri_."

"I. Must. Gossip," she says, glancing back at him before returning her attention to the group. "This goes for you, too, Tensei, although everyone's going to find out anyways as soon as acceptance letters go out."

"Nemuri." Aizawa again, looking at Kayama, who glances over at her. A warning, a cautioning, passes unspoken between them.

"Don't worry, Shouta, I understand what's acceptable and unacceptable gossip. Anyways," she turns back to the group. "Get this: _All Might_ is teaching at U.A. this year."

Everyone's heads snap towards Izuku at the weird noise he makes, and then he seems to move with superhuman speed (fanboy speed!) to slap his hands down on the table and lean across it to face down Kayama.

"You. Are. _Fucking_. With me," he says.

"I," she says, "am _not_. He's been coming to our _meetings_."

Izuku remains star-struck for a few moments before he frowns, a little crease appearing between his eyebrows. "Okay but. He has no teaching experience? He's only had, like, _one_ sidekick, _ever_, and honestly, Sir Nighteye was more of an equal partner than someone who needed to be mentored…"

"I _know_!" Kayama says, looking up and making an exasperated gesture with her hands while Aizawa groans and nods.

"He's going to be terrible, I can just feel it," he says.

"Hey, have a little faith!" Yamada counters, leaning over to drape an arm across Aizawa's shoulders. "I'm sure he'll figure it out!" Aizawa mutters something in response that sounds a lot like "he better figure it out quick before I expel him".

The three teachers continue riffing off each other, but Izuku can't help noticing the serious look that crosses his mother's face. That's something that goes in the "deal with later" category, though, especially as her expression lightens up after a few moments.

From there, things progress into the games part of the night, before it's time for the teachers (and Tensei) to go, leaving Izuku and his mother with the apartment to themselves.

His mother, however, doesn't bring up whatever concerned her during dinner, instead bidding him goodnight with a warm smile that would, theoretically, fool anyone who wasn't _her son_.

He didn't push it, though, wishing her goodnight as well before heading to his room.

On Friday, Izuku comes home from training a little later than usual. He yells a quick greeting to his mom, hurrying to his room to drop his bag off and then, maybe, take a shower before dinner.

That plan, however, is waylaid when he sees the letter sitting on his desk, face-up with his name and address and the shiny U.A. seal. He pauses for a moment by his bed, barely even breathing, before taking slow steps towards his desk and the letter.

And then, he couldn't wait anymore, crossing the remaining distance to his desk in a couple strides and, in a few quick movements, ripping open the envelope. There's a paper letter and a holovideo disc—he starts with the holovideo, setting the disc on his desk and pressing 'play'.

He's greeted, instantly, by a holographic visage of Kayama. She was filmed from the shoulders up in her hero costume, and Izuku barely suppresses the reflex to wave back at her prerecorded greeting.

"_Hello! It's no use beating around the bush with you: you're in! You've been accepted into General Studies. The hard copy letters have all the additional information, and you can,_" here she winks, "_send in any questions you have. I've also been told to give you the Principal's personal congratulations: you scored first on the written exam, out of everyone who took it this year! So, again, congratulations, and we look forward to hearing back from you."_

The holovideo ends, and Izuku can't hold it in anymore: he throws his hands in the air and starts crying. He takes a moment to bask in the accomplishment before picking up the hard copy and running into the kitchen where his mom's finishing up dinner. He doesn't say anything, just hands it to her wordlessly, and waits as she reads it. After a couple moments, she, too, is crying, and she sets the letter down to throw her arms around him, and they hold each other, both crying too hard to really talk.

Finally, some semblance of words come back to them, and his mom reaches up to hold his face, gently, as she looks at him with such _pride_ and _love_ in her expression.

"I am _so_ proud of you," she says. "I _knew_ you could do it. You're going to do amazing things there."

He can't help it: he starts crying again, and leans forward to hug her again.

They're generally a bit more composed as they eat dinner, but he can still feel the thrum of ecstatic energy underneath his skin, and he breaks the "no phones out at the table" rule, and she lets him, because he can't not text his friends about this, and he's just too frenzied at the moment, his thoughts all over the place like marbles.

So, he texts the group chat that he's in with his fellow hero hopefuls.

_heroes or bust!_

_me_

_sent: 18:24_

_U.A. letters came today! Has everyone opened theirs yet?_

_Roka Aomi_

_Received: 18:24_

_i can't! i haven't been able to yet! what if i didn't make it?_

_Koizumi Hiraku_

_Received: 18:24_

_Of course you made it! What sort of dum-dum's would they have to be to turn YOU down?_

_Roka Aomi_

_Received: 18:24_

_you right you right! okay i'm opening it now_

_Shibayama Ichihei_

_Received: 18:25_

_I made it in :) but I think I'll be going to Ketsubutsu. I had a meeting with a teacher there and we really clicked :)_

_me_

_Sent: 18:25_

_! Was it Ms. Joke?_

_Shibayama Ichihei_

_Received: 18:25_

_No! But I'm sure I'll get to learn from her at some point while I'm there, too! What about everyone else? Did you make it, Izuku?_

_Koizumi Hiraku_

_Received: 18:25_

_I'm sure he did lol_

_Bet he even got the highest score on the exam too_

_me_

_Sent: 18:26_

_….._

_I wasn't going to say anything…._

_BUT I MADE IT AND I SCORED HIGHEST_

_Roka Aomi_

_Received: 18:26_

_fuck yeah! that's our boy! i made it too! hero studies, class 1-B! i placed 27__th__ overall in the composite rankings_

_Koizumi Hiraku_

_Received: 18:26_

_Yeah yeah yeah! I made it into the General Studies, too, but I'm still thinking about which school I really want to go to. Ojiro, Nakano, you've both been really quiet, did you make it?_

_Shibayama Ichihei_

_Received: 18:26_

_I think Ojiro's having dinner right now_

_me_

_Sent: 18:27_

_That sounds about right to me_

_Koizumi Hiraku_

_Received: 18:27_

_Okay but Nakano?_

_Nakano Wakana_

_Received: 18:27_

_:)_

_Koizumi Hiraku_

_Received: 18:27_

_! Awesome! That's great!_

_me_

_Sent: 18:27_

_YEAH! Congrats that's great!_

_Roka Aomi_

_Received: 18:27_

_fuck yeha!_

_*yeau_

_*yeah dammit_

_Shibayama Ichihei_

_Received: 18:27_

_That's so good to hear! Are you confirming with U.A. or attending elsewhere?_

_Nakano Wakana_

_Received: 18:28_

_U.A. :)_

_I'll have tough competition with Izuku but it'll be worth it. I was placed into 1-C._

_me_

_Sent: 18:28_

_Hey, me too! Besides, rumor has it the 1-A teacher this year is a hardass :) he's infamous for expelling students so I'm sure there'll be room for us both at some point!_

_Roka Aomi_

_Received: 18:29_

_you wouldn't happen to have any insider information about that would you…._

_me_

_Sent: 18:29_

_Once he expelled an entire class :)_

_Roka Aomi_

_Received: 18:29_

_…i'm terrified and i'm not even in 1-A_

_me_

_Sent: 18:29_

_Don't worry, he's also known for expelling other teacher's students :)_

_Roka Aomi_

_Received: 18:29_

_THAT'S WORSE_

Conversation petered out in the group chat until Mashirao texted in with the confirmation that he had been accepted, and into Class 1-A no less. Izuku sent his congratulations and then set his phone down.

"How did everyone do?" his mother asks.

"Everyone was accepted," Izuku replied, grinning and shaking his hands as a warm, fizzy feeling bubbled up from within his chest. "Mashirao and Aomi were both accepted into the Hero Course, and are going to confirm with U.A. Ichihei was accepted, but they're planning on confirming with Ketsubutsu, and Nakano and Koizumi were both accepted into General Studies with me. Koizumi's still trying to decide, but Nakano and I are going to be in the same class!"

"That's great to hear," his mother replies, smiling. "I'm glad that you'll be at U.A. with friends."

"Thanks," Izuku replies, smiling and wiggling in his seat. He might have to go for a run after dinner to get rid of all this excitement before he could actually sleep.

Or, well, maybe he won't have to, considering the way his mother's face goes dark. It's Serious Talk time, and Izuku settles down (although he can't stop his leg from bouncing).

"Now," his mother begins, "I don't want to… overshadow your acceptance, or downplay it, or anything. It's amazing, and I'm _so_ proud of you. But, I think we do need to have a serious conversation about what it means."

"I know," Izuku says. "It could be dangerous, I know. It's not like I can plan to _win_ the Sports Festival without getting noticed."

"I know you know this," his mother agrees, nodding. "However, that's not _exactly_ what I'm getting at. You're starting at U.A. soon, taking your first steps into the public eye, and I don't want you going in blind. You are… _more than_ aware of your father's identity, and the part that I played within his organization."

Izuku squirms as he nods. Just because he _knows_ what his mother did doesn't mean he _likes_ thinking about it.

"I held your father's confidence," his mother says, looking away, chewing at her bottom lip as she thinks. "Now, I was never his _equal_, but he told me things he didn't speak a word of to anyone else. And one of those things he told me about was his brother."

Izuku blinks. Now this is new.

"Your father is one side of the coin. His brother, and his brother's successors, are the other…"

**thanks for reading! i hope you enjoyed! i wasn't expecting the OCs to become so prominent, but they were like "we're Izuku's friends" and also i love them**

**(Mamadoriya knows things...)**

**a note: while i'm adding non-binary characters, i will not be using neopronouns for any, considering i don't know any Japanese neopronouns and i don't want to use English neopronouns for Japanese characters.**

**also a big thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter! i appreciate the words of encouragement :)**

**(x-posted on ao3, username: orkestrations)**


	3. i'm not here to take no for an answer

**warnings for this chapter: guns (discussed, Snipe exists as a character)**

Izuku, Nakano, Aomi, and Mashirao all meet up at the dojo in the morning of their first day of high school. Mashirao and his moms are waiting outside, Kazue and Isozaki both fussing over him in their own ways while he bears their ministrations with a small smile.

"Hey there Tail-man!" Aomi calls as she approaches. Izuku is only half a block behind her, and he speeds up to a jog to catch up. The group all exchanges their greetings before Isozaki zones in on Izuku's tie.

"I cannot _believe_ your mother let you walk out of the house with your tie like _that_," she says, stepping over and untying his tie. He lets her, and she works with quick, precise movements until it's something more reasonable. "You can ask Mashirao to show you how to tie it."

"Yes ma'am," Izuku replies. "Thank you!"

Isozaki glances him over and gives him one curt nod in response, walking back to stand next to her wife.

"Have a good first day!" Kazue calls as the four teens turn to walk off together. They all wave back at her. "Do your best!"

"We will!" Izuku promises, the other three all echoing him.

At the front door, they pause, knowing they need to split up.

"Hey, good luck, alright Mashirao?" Izuku says, reaching up to put a hand on Mashirao's shoulder. "I know Mr. Aizawa likes to throw his class curveballs on the first day but as long as you're confident and think on your feet you should be fine!"

Mashirao's smile is a little shaky. "Thanks," he says. "Good luck, Izuku!"

With that, the group splits up, with Mashirao and Aomi walking together towards the Hero Course wing while Izuku and Nakano walk to their classroom in General Studies together. Izuku sends a quick "_have a great first day!_" to Ichihei and Koizumi before walking into class 1-C.

There are a handful of students already there, most notably a gaggle of girls gathered around one desk in the back corner and a boy with dreadlocks sitting in one of the front desks with his head down, cradled in his arms. He doesn't look up as they enter, but some of the girls look over, and one of them, a tall girl with pointed ears and long red (seriously, fire-engine red) hair waves.

Izuku waves back, just as enthusiastically, while Nakano holds up one hand. Together, they make their way to their seats—by some stroke of luck, they're sitting next to each other at the front of the classroom.

The red-haired girl breaks away from the group in the back, walking up to stand between Izuku and Nakano's desks.

"Hi! I'm Mori Kazuko! It looks like I'll be sitting right behind you," she says. Nakano and Izuku both introduce each other, and then Mori points to the back corner. "Yamazaki is showing us pictures of her cats, do you want to come see?"

Nakano nods, standing as she does, and Izuku follows suit. Mori leads them to the back corner, where a few of the girls who had been there have disbursed from.

"Yamazaki! I brought more friends," Mori says.

"I thought I told you that you could call me Kyou," Yamazaki replies, looking up through deep-set brown eyes at Mori, who shrugs.

"I'm still getting used to that!" she says. "These are Midoriya and Nakano, and they want to see your cats!"

Yamazaki turns her phone around to show them a picture of a calico cat on the screen. "Of course they do," she says. "My cats are adorable."

There are two different cats they see photos of: the calico and a tortoiseshell. There's a rotating group of people looking at Yamazaki's cat pictures, mostly brought in by Mori as students find the classroom. Izuku and Nakano drift away on their own time and find themselves sitting in their seats by the time class starts and their teacher walks in.

Now, Izuku knew who their teacher was going to be from the name on his information sheet. However, it's one thing to know and another to watch Snipe walk in, spurs clinking with each step. The class fell quiet as he entered and the few not yet in their seats scrambled to get in them.

"Mornin'," Snipe says. "Let's get started."

Izuku and Nakano are slightly delayed on their way to lunch by Mori, who insists on giving them her number before heading off to eat lunch with Yamazaki. That means by the time they make it to the cafeteria, Mashirao and Aomi are already sitting down. There are a few strangers sitting with them, but there's two spaces saved. Izuku sits down next to Aomi, between her and another girl with purple hair while Nakano sits with Mashirao at the very end.

"You were right," Mashirao says, without preamble. "Mr. Aizawa _did_ throws us a curveball. He had us do a quirk apprehension test, saying that he would expel the student who came in last place, and then at the end, he said it was a _logical ruse_."

"Well, I mean…" Izuku shrugs. "He may have called it a logical ruse, but I'm pretty sure he _was_ planning on expelling the last-place student if they were last place because of lack of effort or something like that. Who was it?"

"A girl named Hagakure, with an invisibility quirk," Mashirao replies.

Izuku pauses while he's getting his lunch out to point, for emphasis. "There, you see? She has a quirk that's probably not going to be a lot of help on something like a quirk apprehension test, therefore it'd be pretty illogical for Mr. Aizawa to expel her just for coming in last—as long as she was giving her all. If someone who had a quirk like, I don't know, acid generation, came in last, they're either not giving it their all or they're not thinking creatively enough with their quirk. There's a subtle enough difference between the two, one can be taught and one can't be, but Mr. Aizawa would have to use his discretion in that case."

"Funny enough, there _is_ a girl with an acid generation quirk in our class," Mashirao replies, laughing, as the goth girl sitting next to Izuku extends her earlobe over to jab him in the shoulder.

"Hey, are you going to introduce us or not?" she asks, and Izuku blushes.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" he says. "I'm Midoriya Izuku, class 1-C!"

The students who are new to Izuku happen to be a mix of class 1-A and 1-B. The purple-haired girl he's sitting next to is Jirou Kyouka and sitting next to Mashirao is Shouji Mezou. The two class 1-B girls Aomi brought with her are Yanagi Reiko and Tokage Setsuna, and they're soon joined by Tokoyami Fumikage, also from class 1-A.

"You seem familiar with Mr. Aizawa," Shouji asks. Izuku glances up from his lunch to look at him. "How do you know him?"

Here, Izuku nervously twists a lock of hair around his fingers. He hadn't really thought too much about whether to keep his mentorship with Aizawa a secret, and Aizawa hadn't said anything about it himself. There was always the 'we're related' cover, but, well, again, they hadn't actually really talked about it.

"It's… complicated?" he finally settles on saying, making a mental note to talk to Aizawa about it. Shouji seems to accept this non-answer (for now?), nodding and leaning back.

"That's the worst non-answer I've ever heard," Jirou says, and Izuku glances at her before shrugging. She blinks and then looks away, glancing towards Tokage, who's talking about her teacher (Vlad King!) to her end of the table.

Lunch passes easily, the group of teens starting to find their rhythm with each other by the time they need to leave for their afternoon classes.

Nakano and Izuku are walking together, taking in the friend groups already forming in their class, when they notice a tall student with purple hair who's walking on his own.

Izuku can _feel_ the 'make friends' instinct activate. He's felt it a few times before: when Nakano joined their 'hero hopefuls' class, that one time when he was seven with the new girl in class, Bakugou's entire existence… (although that last one was probably less 'make friend' and more _keep_ friend.)

So, Izuku speeds up and walks, with purpose, over to the purple-haired boy, Nakano following behind him.

"Hi!" he says. "I'm Midoriya Izuku, and this is Nakano Wakana!"

The purple-haired boy looks down with half-lidded eyes and, whoa, he looks like he _never_ sleeps. The bags under his eyes are worse than Izuku's are after finals.

"…Shinsou Hitoshi," he finally says. "I'm not here to make friends, if that's what you're hoping for."

"And I'm not here to take no for an answer," Izuku replies, grinning. Shinsou heaves a big sigh, speeding up, as if his _long legs_ are enough to leave Izuku (and a quietly giggling Nakano) behind. It's no use: both of them are very experienced at keeping up with tall people.

Izuku has training with Aizawa that evening. They'd considered moving their training to U.A. now that Izuku's a student there, but in the end, they remained at Kazue and Isozaki's dojo, which also happened to be easy for Yonaga to get to, on the days they dropped in.

Kazue waves at him as he comes in that night. She's teaching a class of young beginners at the moment, but seeing her pause to greet _him_ puts a little thrill of excitement in his chest. He waves back as he heads to the side room set aside for individual training. It has, for the most part, been used by exclusively Aizawa, Yonaga, and Izuku, but he knows there's at least a couple other kids with pro hero mentors that use it on occasion.

He's there before Aizawa, and he takes the time to start warming up, working through a set of exercises and feeling some of the tension leave his body as he moved.

Aizawa gets there a few minutes later, wearing his hero costume with his hair pulled back from his face. He looks _so done_ with _everything_.

Neither speaks as Aizawa sets down his bag and begins warming up himself. The only sounds are the sounds they make as they move, the upbeat music playing from Izuku's portable speaker, and the noise of the class in the main area.

As soon as Aizawa finishes warming up, he gives the go-ahead, a small jerk of his head, and their starting spar commences with Izuku making the first move. This spar tends to only take five or ten minutes at the most, depending on how tired both of them are feeling. (Training's important, yes, but it's not going to be productive if either one is dead on their feet.) After it, they take a couple minutes to drink some water and pick apart Izuku's performance during it, often making use of the wall of whiteboards to write down lists and keep track of thoughts that Izuku would write down in his notebook once they were finished.

At one point, Aizawa says, "Snipe's your homeroom teacher. You should consider asking him for some firearms training, if that's something you're interested in."

Izuku frowns, thoughts chasing each other in circles through his head. "With his quirk, doesn't that make firearms training for him kind of redundant? After he knows the basics, isn't it more about learning to aim with his quirk than it is aiming with the gun? Would he be able to effectively teach someone how to improve their aim without a quirk?"

"Yes," Aizawa answers. Izuku glances up. There's no trace of sarcasm in his teacher's face, so Izuku nods and writes _Snipe- guns_ on a corner of a whiteboard. As he does, Aizawa continues speaking. "He found it worthwhile to learn how to shoot just as well without his quirk as with it." Izuku opens his mouth to speak, but Aizawa holds up a hand, cutting him off. "I know what's wrong with what I just said, but I _know_ you understand what I mean." Izuku closes his mouth, swallowing his snark.

Their training's starting to wind down when Izuku brings up his concerns from lunch. They're stretching and cooling down as he begins to speak.

"I was wondering, how do you want to handle, like, our whole… training slash pseudo-family thing in regards to other students at U.A.?" he asks, gesturing at himself and Aizawa as he speaks. "Other than Mashirao, there's actually a few students in 1-A that know that we know each other somehow, because we were talking at lunch." He pauses for a moment, thinking back to that interaction. "Their names are… Jirou, Shouji, and Tokoyami."

Aizawa pauses for a few long moments before shrugging. "Tell them whatever you want. I'm fairly certain Nedzu's already decided you're going to end up in my class, anyways."

Izuku nods, frowning to himself as they finish stretching. He's copying the information on the whiteboard wall down into his notebook as Aizawa's leaving.

"Good luck on patrol," Izuku says.

"Don't need luck," Aizawa replies, the interaction a practiced routine for almost as long as they'd been mentor and student.

For the first few days, Nakano sticks like glue to Izuku's side. He's grateful for it: she's familiar. Meanwhile, Izuku doggedly chases Shinsou, sticking to the other boy's side whenever possible. Shinsou just looks massively annoyed by everything, especially Izuku.

On Thursday, Nakano starts talking to Kita Shiyuki, the girl who sits on her right. Kita is _another_ student with purple hair, dark and shoulder-length, and she is, if possible, even quieter than Nakano. Mori also starts talking to Nakano more, bringing her and Kita into her friendship with Yamazaki.

It… puts a weird feeling in the pit of Izuku's stomach, watching her go hang out with Mori, Kita, and Yamazaki without him, but he puts it aside, reasoning that she's allowed to go make other friends, just as he is.

Not that Shinsou's really a _friend_. He's more like a grudging companion, really, but he hasn't point-blank told Izuku to go away yet, so Izuku's counting him.

It's actually that Friday when he makes his first real breakthrough with Shinsou. He's foregone sitting with Mashirao and Aomi at lunch in order to sit with Shinsou, who, he's noticed, sits alone for lunch every day.

He doesn't speak as he sits down kitty-corner from the other boy, instead opening his bento and eating. He can feel Shinsou's eyes on him like lasers, trying to burn through him so they can read his mind.

Izuku doesn't show any response to that. He waits, eating, trying to decide on the best moment to say something.

It comes as he finishes eating. Shinsou's staring has been getting more intense, and now that he's done with his food, Izuku doesn't really have any excuse to not say anything.

"Why are you so adamant on not making friends?" He asks this without even looking over at Shinsou, instead pulling out his phone and shooting a quick _hey, hope everyone's day is going well!_ to the hero hopefuls chat.

There's a moment, and then Shinsou replies. "It's a waste of my time."

Izuku can't help it: he snorts. "I'm sorry," he says. "That's ridiculous. But, well, now I'm curious." He turns his head to look at Shinsou, whose eyebrows are furrowed and face is hardened in a simmering anger. "Why do you think it's a waste of your time?"

"I'm just here to get to the hero course. Anything outside of that is just a distraction."

"I'm sorry, _what_?" Izuku's mouth runs before his brain can catch up.

"You heard me," Shinsou growls, leaning forward and glaring at Izuku.

"Yeah, yeah, I did," Izuku says, shaking his head. There were _so many_ things wrong with what Shinsou had just said, though, that he wasn't quite sure where to start. "Now, just to, like, be clear, what _steps_ are you taking to get into the hero course?"

Shinsou sighs. "I'm going to win the Sports Festival." He says it almost… bored, like it's the most obvious thing in the world.

Izuku stifles the urge to roll his eyes or pinch the bridge of his nose or anything like that. His snarkier responses probably aren't going to help here, dang it! "And how are you _preparing_ for the Sports Festival?"

"Why should I tell _you_ that?"

"Because I can _probably_ help you," Izuku replies. "Do you know any martial arts? Self-defense?"

Shinsou blinks, perhaps a little off-center by the sudden (seeming) change of topic. "I know how to throw a punch."

"That's not going to be enough to get you through the Sports Festival," Izuku says. "I'm not going to insult you and act like you can't come up with a plan, because I think you can. However, your quirk: considering you're in General Studies, it's probably nothing physical. Maybe it'll be good to catch one opponent by surprise during the one-on-ones, but after that? Everyone's going to be expecting it. You're going to need to be able to hold your own without your quirk and save it for when you _really_ need it."

"…Oh," Shinsou says. His lips are pressed together, and there's still tension around his eyes that Izuku can't quite get a read on, but he continues anyways.

"I've been training at this one dojo for a few years now," Izuku says. There's a flash of something darker in Shinsou's expression before Izuku continues. "And they kind of specialize in hero hopefuls. I could bring you in, introduce you to my teachers. I think they'd like you—you remind me a lot of Ms. Isozaki, actually. And," Izuku leans in, "I know a couple of pros who both got into the hero course through the Sports Festival. I could talk to one, ask them if they'd be willing to meet you. I can't imagine they'd say no, and they're a good teacher. Even if you don't win the Sports Festival, you'd still have a foot in the door, so to speak."

Shinsou says nothing as he thinks, staring at his hands with his lips downturned. Izuku watches some students start leaving, mostly hero course students. According to Mashirao and Aomi, the hero courses have their actual heroics classes in the afternoon. General Studies learns some of the theory and behind-the-scenes things, mostly to smooth the process of moving up to the hero courses, but they lack the practical exercises.

"Okay," Shinsou finally says, looking up. "Can you take me there this afternoon?"

Izuku grins one of his widest grins back at him. "Yeah! Here," he opens the new contact page on his phone and passes it over to Shinsou, "put your number in and I'll text you the address and what time to be there."

Shinsou does so, and Izuku sends a quick text to the new contact to confirm it's the right number (and also so Shinsou has his number, too), and it is, and then it's time to head to class.

(Izuku sends a long string of jubilant, victorious emojis to Nakano, who replies back with a simple smiley-face.)

**i wouldn't expect this same speed of rapid-fire updates to continue indefinitely, but i'm definitely being carried by a strong hyperfixation at the moment.**

**thank you to everyone who reviewed on the last chapter! you're all appreciated :)**


	4. Present Gun!

**warnings: gun mentions, gun jokes**

Izuku waits outside the dojo for Shinsou, who's wearing grey sweats and an oversized black hoodie when he arrives, carrying a canvas bag over one shoulder. Izuku himself is also wearing sweats and carrying a bag, his fingertips already taped so he doesn't have to worry about accidentally using his quirk during the spar.

"It doesn't look like much," Shinsou says in lieu of a greeting.

"Ms. Isozaki and Ms. Ojiro are hardly _rich_," Izuku says in response, "but they know their stuff." He opens the door for Shinsou, who steps in with a quiet thanks, and Izuku follows him in.

Kazue is working with a few advanced students (the kind of students who compete in tournaments), so it's Isozaki who walks over, just as Izuku had planned.

"Is this Shinsou?" she asks, as if it could be anyone else. She looks him up and down, red eyes sharp, taking in and categorizing information, making calculations at the speed of thought. "Please tell me he's not going to be as much trouble as you are."

"I won't make promises I can't keep," is Izuku's reply, and Isozaki sighs. It sounds fond to his ears.

"Alright. Well, hoodie off," she says. "We have this corner over here for half an hour. Let's see what you're made of." She strides off, and Izuku follows, used to her tendencies. It takes Shinsou a half second to catch on, but he follows, long stride letting him catch up.

"Shinsou, are you alright with sparring against Midoriya?" she asks. Shinsou nods before pulling his hoodie off and setting it on the bench with his bag. While he does that, she turns to Izuku. "Run him through some quick warm-ups." Izuku nods and does so, telling Shinsou what they're doing. The other boy already knows most of the exercises, so it goes quick, expedited by the fact that Shinsou doesn't contest Izuku at all. That surprises him a little, although maybe it shouldn't. If Shinsou is _that _driven to become a hero, then he'll know when to fight and when it's not worth it (for the most part).

"Looks like you're done warming up," Isozaki says. Her arms are crossed, and she's been circling the two boys as they moved. Izuku knows what comes next, settling into a fighting stance. "Shinsou, I want you to strike first."

Shinsou nods, settling into a stance of his own. His eyes are everywhere, for a couple moments, glancing all over Izuku before settling.

He _does_ know how to throw a punch, Izuku will give him that. He probably knows a bit more than he let on, but Izuku's fast, with years of experience behind him. He dodges Shinsou's first strike, the air displaced by his fist brushing by his cheek as Izuku side-steps, turns, and grabs, using Shinsou's momentum to throw him to the ground.

There's a solid _thud_ and Shinsou lays there for a couple moments, breathing hard, before getting to his feet. His eyes are wide and there's _something_ wild behind them.

"Now that you know Midoriya knows his shit, try again," Isozaki orders, now standing behind Izuku.

Shinsou's more conservative this time, still striking first, but less like he's trying to one-hit K.O. and more like he's expecting his opponent to, well, throw him to the ground using his own momentum.

They go a few more times, Isozaki always watching with her calculating eyes, making various noises of approval or consideration or challenge. She has them switch roles, telling Izuku to strike first and Shinsou to defend, and then she leaves it open for either to strike first.

About half their time has passed when she stops their sparring and then focuses on teaching Shinsou form. After a couple minutes of her correcting the way he's holding himself, she turns him loose on Izuku to see how well it's sticking. It's not like the handful of adjustments she gave him will make him miraculously able to beat Izuku, but there's subtle improvements.

A half hour is nowhere near enough time to truly, fully gauge someone's potential and character, but from the small smirk on her lips, Izuku thinks that she likes what she saw. The two boys are cooling down now, working through stretches, and Izuku catches sight of Yonaga walking in, their limp a little worse than usual. They sit down near the door, catching Izuku's eye and waving. Izuku waves back, ignoring Shinsou's questioning look.

"So," Isozaki says as Shinsou puts his hoodie on, "I think taking a chance and adding you to the hero hopefuls' class could be good. It could also be an unmitigated disaster, too. It really depends on what you'd prefer."

"How many are in the class?" Shinsou asks.

"Six, including Midoriya. Four of them, still including Midoriya, attend U.A., so you may be familiar with them. I think that several of them could help peer teach you, and it would be good for both them and you. However, that's up to you and your parents. Your other option is our teenage beginners' class."

Shinsou peers at Izuku from the corners of his eyes. His expression is blank, impassive, but Izuku smiles and finger guns at him.

That action manages to pull a snort from Shinsou, who rolls his eyes and turns back to Isozaki.

"The hero hopefuls' class," he says, and Izuku silently fist-pumps. Shinsou doesn't notice, following Isozaki to the front counter where the forms are. She gives him one, and he folds it up and puts it in his bag as Izuku ambles over.

"I look forward to having you in my class," Isozaki says.

"Thank you," Shinsou replies, and turns, looking all set to walk out the door.

Izuku reaches out and snags his elbow. "Wait," he says. "Remember what else I talked about? I have someone here who's also agreed to meet you."

Shinsou blinks at him and doesn't say anything, although he doesn't argue as Izuku leads him over to where Yonaga is sitting, working on something on their laptop. They look up as the boys approach.

"Shinsou Hitoshi," Izuku says, "this is Yonaga Noeru."

Yonaga's smile is small but warm.

"Pleased to meet you," they say. "Izuku's told me a bit about you. It sounds like the two of you are in a very similar boat."

Shinsou glances over at Izuku, eyes half-lidded. "…Yeah."

"I, too, started in the General Studies course at U.A.," Yonaga says, setting their laptop aside and standing, stretching their arms over their head. "And transferred into the hero course when I won the Sports Festival my first year."

Shinsou's eyes widen. "Oh," he says. "Oh, now I recognize you."

Yonaga laughs, quietly, their hand reaching up to rub the back of their neck as they glance to the side.

"Yeah," they say. "I worked as an underground hero for, oh, about fourteen years or so before I was, eh, forcibly retired."

Shinsou opens his mouth—he looks like he wants to ask—but closes it, eyebrows furrowing. "Thank you for agreeing to meet you," he finally settles on saying.

"Of course," Yonaga replies, shrugging their left shoulder. "Come on, lets walk and talk," they say, reaching down to shut their laptop and put it back into its bag. The three of them leave the dojo, pausing outside the door.

"I have homework to finish," Izuku says, waving at Yonaga. "I'll see you tomorrow night?"

"You know it," they reply, and then they split up, Izuku heading one way and Shinsou and Yonaga heading the other.

As he walks, Izuku pulls out his phone and starts typing.

_heroes or bust!_

_me_

_sent: 19:09_

_So I found another person for our class. Ms. Isozaki has already approved him._

_Nakano Wakana_

_received: 19:09_

_Knew you could do it :)_

_Roka Aomi_

_received: 19:09_

_oh? who? what is he like?_

_me_

_sent: 19:09_

_His name is Shinsou Hitoshi, and he's in 1-C with Nakano and I._

_Nakano Wakana_

_received: 19:10_

_You know you can call me Wakana, right?_

_All of you can_

_me_

_sent: 19:10_

_! You can all call me Izuku too!_

_Koizumi Hiraku_

_received: 19:10_

_Samesies! And I can't wait to meet him!_

_Nakano Wakana_

_received: 19:10_

_He won't know what hit him :)_

_Roka Aomi_

_received: 19:11_

_okay but what's he LIKE_

_Nakano Wakana_

_received: 19:11_

_When he introduced himself to Izuku (Izuku approached first) he said he's not here to make friends_

_Koizumi Hiraku_

_received: 19:11_

_! :O Well he's gonna make some friends!_

_Nakano Wakana_

_received: 19:11_

_Izuku looked him in the face and said "well I'm not here to take no for an answer"_

_Roka Aomi_

_received: 19:12_

_asdkjfhjh legendary_

_Ojiro Mashirao_

_received: 19:12_

_I think I've heard some rumors about him from Hagakure… They're probably just rumors though!_

_Roka Aomi_

_received: 19:12_

_never trust a rumor mill :\_

Only Aizawa and Yamada make it to dinner that Saturday. That makes it a fairly tame affair, as three of the four were tired from the first week of school.

"I can already tell that there's _going_ to be problems in this class," Aizawa grumbles.

"He's already got the sights of the expulsion gun set on some students," Yamada adds, and Izuku laughs.

"Already? Didn't he expel three students on their first day a few years ago?"

"This class has an above-average amount of potential. I had to wait for the cracks to show. Midoriya, how did your training with Snipe go?"

"It went pretty well," Izuku replied, shrugging. "I'm not, like, some gun prodigy, but he thinks he could sign off on me having some sort of non-lethal firearm for the Sports Festival. He's thinking he might take me to see Power Loader next week, too, to talk about options for that sort of thing. I was thinking—there's non-lethal neurotoxins out there that can paralyze people for certain amounts of time, right? Those might come in useful, lace some darts with them, or maybe something with anesthetic properties?" He trails off and shrugs. "But imagine peoples' reaction when I walk into the Sports Festival with a _gun_. That doesn't happen very often."

"Present Gun!" Yamada says, grinning and shooting finger guns at Izuku, who busts out laughing. God, _Present Gun_, he's going to have to remember that one. His mother also laughs, while Aizawa just groans.

Monday rolls around and Izuku is just _struck_ by the crowd outside the U.A. gates. Reporters are jammed together, each trying to yell over the other. There's a path to the gate for the students, held and maintained by Kayama and Yamada, but Izuku hesitates anyways. Despite knowing he's going to be plastering his face all over every news channel by winning the Sports Festival in a few weeks, he doesn't want to make it happen any sooner than that.

"You look nervous!"

Izuku whips around to catch sight of a tall blond boy wearing the hero course uniform. He's _sparkling_, with shiny hair well-styled, and he smiles down at Izuku like he knows the grand mystery of the world.

"Just my anxiety," Izuku replies. He drums up a return smile for the hero student, whose smile widens a fraction at that. "You're not anxious about all the reporters?"

"Non!" the boy replies. "Aoyama Yuuga. I was born for the spotlight!" He twirls, sparkles intensifying.

Izuku chuckles. "Midoriya Izuku. I'll be stealing that spotlight in a few weeks."

It's Aoyama's turn to chuckle as his smile shifts into something that could be called a smirk. "Then I'll just have to bask in it while I still have it!" With that, he strides forward, arms spread wide, beckoning all attention to himself. It works: the reporters seem to turn, as a single hivemind, towards the sparkling, shining hero student, allowing Izuku, so plain in comparison, to slip through unnoticed.

He turns, catching Aoyama's smile once he's through. He smiles in return, mouthing and signing _thank you_.

Aoyama winks in return, and Izuku feels a little jolt in his gut.

…Please, don't let him develop a crush on this pretty hero student.

Izuku walks to the cafeteria for lunch with their newly-elected class representative, Mori, and their vice representative, Yamazaki. There's a few others walking with them, including, surprisingly, Shinsou. He's drifting off on the side, with them but not really a part of them, but he's still there. Izuku splits from them when they get to the cafeteria, and Shinsou follows him over to the table where Aomi, Mashirao, and their hero course friends are sitting.

"Hey Izuku!" Mashirao waves. "Who's this?"

"Shinsou Hitoshi," Shinsou introduces himself. Mashirao and Aomi's eyes widen, but, thankfully, they don't say anything.

"Nice to meet you," Mashirao replies, smiling. "I'm Ojiro Mashirao." They go around the table, in a circle, all of them introducing themselves. It's more or less the same group from the first day, minus Wakana and with the addition of Kuroiro Shihai, from class 1-B.

Tokage is telling a story from her middle school days, the whole table hanging off her every word, when a loud alarm blares, jolting them all out of their seats.

There's a moment, where it's just the alarm, loud and blaring, before chaos ignites. Within moments, everyone's yelling, pushing, shoving, a pulsating crush of bodies trying to burst out the nearest door.

Izuku doesn't even pause to think as he climbs onto Shouji's back, safely getting himself above the mass. He should've asked, but Shouji doesn't seem to mind, reaching up one hand to steady him. Izuku's mind is spinning as he tries to figure out what's happening—this is the intruder alarm, right? What sort of intrusion is it? Is it a villain attack?

Before he can get any further, there's suddenly someone _floating_ above the crowd, and then a burst of engine noise and there's someone standing on the emergency exit sign, braced against the wall.

"Everyone calm down! It's just the media! I repeat: there's no villain, it's just reporters!"

With a jolt, Izuku recognizes the boy on the emergency exit sign: it's Tensei's younger brother, Tenya. His slick thinking works: the students in the hallway calm down, and the murmur spreads: it's just the reporters from that morning, so desperate to get a scoop that they breached U.A.'s security.

"Just reporters?" someone scoffs. "Those are just as bad as villains!"

That prompts a completely different sort of chaos, but it's much calmer, and the students are starting to disburse back to the cafeteria, so Izuku climbs down from Shouji's back and makes his way over to where Iida is being helped down from the exit sign by a tall girl with long black hair and a shorter girl with brown hair.

"Hey! Iida!" Izuku says, stopping next to the taller girl. "That was some pretty quick thinking there!"

"Oh, Midoriya! Thank you! I couldn't have done it without Uraraka, though," Iida replies, gesturing to the shorter girl, who blushes and ducks her head.

"It was all your idea," she says, "all I had to do was use my quirk!"

"Yes, exactly! I couldn't have done it without you!" Iida repeats. He turns back to Izuku. "I haven't seen you for a while! How are classes going?"

Izuku grins. "They're going really well! So you have Mr. Aizawa as your homeroom teacher, then? How's that?"

Iida pauses, frowning as he thinks. "It's… very different."

"I'm sure it is," Izuku agrees. "I'll probably be saying the same thing in a few weeks!"

The tall girl raises her eyebrows. "Oh, so you're trying for the hero course, then?"

"Yeah," Izuku replies, tugging at a lock of hair. "I don't exactly have a quirk flashy enough to tear through the entrance exam robots, so I need to make it in another way!"

"Oh!" Iida's arm chops down between Izuku and the girl. "I forgot to introduce you! This is Yaoyorozu Momo, our class representative! Yaoyorozu, this is Midoriya Izuku! I've known him since middle school!"

"Thanks Iida," Yaoyorozu replies, smiling at him. She turns back to Izuku. "I look forward to seeing what you have to bring to the Sports Festival."

"Yeah, you too!" Izuku replies. He smiles and waves at Uraraka and Iida, too, before turning and rushing back to where his lunch group has returned to their table.

"You know Iida?" Jirou asks, one eyebrow raised, as he sits down.

"Yeah," Izuku replies. He does not elaborate.

With the excitement of the alarm, lunch feels like it's over almost as soon as it begins, and Izuku and Shinsou walk back to their classroom together.

Izuku gets a text from Aizawa after school, telling him that he couldn't make it to training that evening. That was to be expected; after all, a security breach as big as they'd had today? Even if it was just reporters, they were probably doing massive damage control. Izuku used his extra time that night to work on an analysis of Edgeshot that he'd been working on for a while, watching new footage and shoring up weak spots in his essay. He sent messages to his friends, too, telling Shinsou that he was excited for him to join the hero hopefuls in their martial arts class for the first time, and checking in with Wakana to see how Kita was doing after the excitement that day.

There was something about the reporters' breach that day, though. Something felt… off, about it. Yeah, reporters were vultures, but surely none of them were desperate enough to actually break in to U.A., right? It was just an action of convenience for most of them, surely, but the thought that there were reporters out there with the drive to get the perfect scoop and a lack of scruples to hold them back… Izuku shuddered. Even worse, what if it was a ploy by villains?

Ugh. Nothing was going to come of him stressing out over it. He shakes his head and saves his analysis, standing and shaking his whole body. Hopefully his shower would chase all these thoughts out of his head for long enough to get to sleep.

**me, writing: *sprinkles a little dekuyama on top***

**anyways, i'm gonna go see the movie tonight! super excited. when i bought my ticket this morning i was the only one who'd bought one for that showtime asldfjhjh**

**thank you for reading, and a huge round of appreciation for everyone who's reviewed! i appreciate all of you!**

**(x-posted on ao3, username: orkestrations)**


	5. we are going to watch educational videos

**warnings: implied/referenced past bullying and discrimination against quirks, the USJ incident from outside POV**

Tuesday night. Shinsou's first time with the full class of hero hopefuls at the dojo. Izuku's there early, warming up with Wakana and Hiraku.

"My homeroom teacher says I have a lot of potential as a support hero," Hiraku says as he takes off his everyday wear braces in order to put on his exercise braces. Izuku himself wears ankle braces and religiously wraps and tapes his wrists. He has a brace for his left wrist, but he tries not to wear it unless necessary—most of the time, tape and wraps will do him just fine.

"It's not a flashy limelight position, but honestly, I don't think I'd want to be one of the limelight heroes, anyway," Hiraku continues, fastening down the last strap on his knee braces and moving onto his ankle braces. "It seems like they spend a lot of time worrying about the media and not enough time worrying about saving people."

"Isn't that the truth," Izuku replies, his tone flat as he begins to stretch his arms. "Both my main mentors are, or were, underground. They both take any chance given to complain about the commercialization and sensationalizing of heroics."

"Are you planning on going underground?" Wakana asks, and Izuku shrugs, shaking his arms as he switches stretches.

"I haven't decided yet," he replies. "What about you?"

"I also haven't decided," she agrees.

Aomi is the next one to arrive, dropping her bag in the usual spot and jogging over to the other three to join them. Hiraku is finishing up with his braces, so she waits and then starts working on partner warm-ups with him.

Ichihei and Shinsou arrive at about the same time, and Izuku can see the double take Shinsou does as he catches sight of the very large, tree-like teenager.

"Hey!" Hiraku says, launching to his feet. "It must be our newbie! I'm Koizumi Hiraku. I go to Ketsubutsu!"

"Shinsou Hitoshi," Shinsou says. "U.A."

Mashirao finally joins them, coming out of the side room as their doing introductions. He's followed by Kazue and Isozaki, with Kazue making a beeline right for Shinsou.

"You must be Shinsou," she says. "I'm Ojiro Kazue. My wife's told me what she thinks of you, but I look forward to seeing what you're capable of myself. She said she expects some peer teaching to be happening?"

"I do," Isozaki takes over, talking as the seven teens warm up together. "Now. You six," she says, pointing out Izuku, Hiraku, Mashirao, Aomi, Ichihei, and Wakana individually, "have been a unit for years. I fully expect you to open your arms for Shinsou. Do not make him feel like a seventh wheel."

"Yes ma'am!"

"The six of you will be taking turns working with him," she continues. "You think you're all advanced, correct? Let's see how well you can teach a beginner, then. Kazue and I will be keeping our eyes on you. Don't let us down."

"Yes ma'am!"

She nods and turns to Mashirao and Hiraku. "You two are going to be peer teaching first. When I have you switch out, it will be Midoriya and Nakano, and then Shibayama and Roka. Got it? Good. Midoriya and Roka, center."

Kazue leads Mashirao, Hiraku, and Shinsou to a spot a few meters away from the main group. Izuku can't watch, having been prompted up to go first, but the next time he has a chance to look, it seems like things are going well, with Hiraku showing Shinsou something.

"You don't have to mom him," Aomi says, and Izuku startles and glances over at where she just… appeared. "He'll be fine."

"I know," Izuku replies.

Aomi's dark eyes tell him that she's not convinced, but she shrugs and lets it go, fixing her attention on Ichihei and Wakana's spar.

Given that Kazue and Isozaki have a license to train quirks, the hero hopefuls often do work on quirks, too. They can't get as wild and destructive as students at well-funded schools (like U.A.) but they _can_ use them. To be honest, Izuku's excited to see what Shinsou's quirk is. The two of them, plus Wakana, are probably some of the only members of class 1-C who _haven't_ shared their quirks with anyone.

(He knows that there's rumors running around that he and Shinsou are quirkless, but that doesn't bother him. He did spend most of his life pretending to be such, after all, so it'll take more than just some rumors to get to him.)

All six experienced students have had their turn working with Shinsou by the time their halfway break happens. They have ten minutes, as long as they keep their muscles warm, to do whatever they want. Izuku takes the time to find Shinsou.

"How are you liking it?" he asks.

Shinsou groans. "I _thought_ I was in good shape. That was before this. We still have an hour to go?"

"Yeah." Izuku chuckles. "I can share some workout tricks with you that I use, if you want. Just remember: chocolate milk is king."

"Chocolate milk is king," Shinsou repeats, nodding dully. "Got it."

After the break, they do a quick re-center (they refuse to call it a warm-up, since technically, they're supposed to _stay_ warm over the break) and then it's quirk time. Isozaki, a devilish grin on her face, calls up Shinsou and Wakana first.

Izuku gets the feeling she knows something he doesn't. (She does—you have to disclose your quirk, or lack of one, on the form to join the class, after all.)

Shinsou, to Izuku's surprise, looks… reluctant? About the prospect of using his quirk in a spar. Huh.

"You're free to begin," Kazue says.

"Why did the chicken cross the road?" Shinsou asks, taking _everyone_ by surprise, including Wakana, who lets a confused _what? _out.

And her eyes go blank, and she stops moving. Kazue hands some money to Isozaki while the students stare at Shinsou and Wakana, eyes wide.

Izuku is the first to move, going so fast that it's almost like he vanishes and reappears at Shinsou's side.

"Holy shit! Is that your quirk? Some sort of… of brainwashing?" he moves so he can examine Wakana, waving his hand in front of her eyes. No response. There's no response from Shinsou, either. "It looks like it's activated by call-and-response, verbally here, but I wonder if it could be activated non-verbally, too? How specific does the reply have to be? Can you dodge the activation by addressing your reply to someone else? Can you give commands, or is it just… zombification?" Izuku jabs Wakana in the shoulder, and she startles back to life with a gasp.

"Woah," she breathes, eyes wide. "That was trippy."

"Hey, Izuku," Ichihei says, extending a branch arm out to stop him in his orbit of Shinsou and Wakana. "Maybe give him a chance to respond?"

"Yeah, yeah, of course," Izuku says, turning back to Shinsou. "So a hard enough physical hit can break the hypnosis? It has to be, I only used one finger there."

"Uh… yes," Shinsou replies, blinking, looking completely taken aback. "Yes, a hard enough physical jolt will break them out of the brainwashing. Uh… it's only verbal response that activates it, and I can give commands, as long as they're simple. Anything with too many steps or too much complexity fails. And, uh, yeah, it works even if you're technically addressing someone else, as long as it's a response to me in nature."

"_That is so cool_," Izuku breathes, flitting over to Shinsou's side.

Shinsou, who looks _so confused_. "You're not… angry?" He addresses this mostly to Wakana, who shakes her head.

"No," she replies. "My singing voice can do something similar, you know. I think that's why Ms. Ojiro and Ms. Isozaki paired us. We have very similar quirks."

"Oh," Shinsou says. He turns to the rest of the group. "And all of you? You're not… scared? Disgusted?"

"_What_," Izuku hisses, a flash of anger in his blood. "_Who_ has told you your quirk is disgusting? I need to know. Just to have a chat. Just a friendly chat."

Ichihei rests a branch on Izuku's shoulder again. Their touch is grounding. "I'm not scared," they say. "I also want to know where you got the idea your quirk is _disgusting_ from. It's a quirk. People shouldn't make value judgments based on it alone."

Shinsou inhales, sharp and shaky, as he turns to Aomi, Hiraku, and Mashirao.

"And… and you? You don't think that I'm, that I'm a villain in the making?"

"Because of your quirk?" Aomi asks, shaking her head. "Ichihei's wise. You should listen to them."

"No one's evil just because of their quirk," Mashirao agrees, nodding his head.

Hiraku takes a few steps forward and rests his hand on Shinsou's shoulder. "No one here is going to judge you for your quirk. We're all a little… odd, here, in our own ways. Wakana's quirk, she already mentioned, is very similar to yours. My quirk lets me bend my joints _all the way_ backwards. Ichihei is a _tree_, Mashirao has that huge tail, and just _wait_ until you see what Izuku can do. We get it, Shinsou. I think you've been alone for a very long time, but you don't have to be, not anymore, not with us."

Izuku suddenly understands why his crying can freak people out sometimes, as Shinsou suddenly bursts into tears.

It takes them a solid ten minutes to all recollect themselves, and then it's Ichihei against Wakana and then Hiraku against Mashirao. Both fights drag on a while, considering they're all fairly evenly matched and know each other's fighting styles, mostly.

Finally, it's Izuku facing Aomi. There are buckets of water hanging out next to them for her to use, although she and Izuku will be responsible for cleaning up the spills (there will undoubtedly be spills).

Izuku, while preparing, pulled the tape off his fingertips so he has all ten bare. There's no visual indication of his quirk, not like some people with five-point quirks, but from Shinsou's expression, he's _noticed_ the deliberate application and removal of tape.

Well. Izuku only hopes that his quirk can live up to Hiraku's hype.

"Begin," Isozaki says. Aomi immediately starts backing up, pulling water out of the buckets, as Izuku darts forwards. She put on sweats and a long-sleeved shirt just for him, so he has to either get a lucky shot on a hand or duck underneath her guard and get a touch in on her face or neck. She tends to have large, wide movements when manipulating water, but he knows they're carefully guarded gaps in her defense, and he has to _make_ his own opening.

Dodge a punch, duck to the left, they've traded places. He keeps moving, weaving around. She's focusing a lot on keeping hold of all her water at once, and, honestly, she has improved on that front quite a bit since the beginning of the school year.

Her focus on her water is her undoing: Izuku rolls underneath one blob of water and comes up underneath her guard, way inside the theoretical blood circle of her arms, and slaps five fingers down on her cheek, the sound of the smack loud in his face. His fingertips glow red, there's a brief flash of red lightning which crackles over her body and around the water she's controlling, and then the water drops to the floor with a splash. Some of it actually douses Shinsou, who has now learned to stay out of the splash zone when Aomi is fighting.

From there, it gets _harder_ to spar her, since now she can focus solely on fighting him. In the end, he does throw her to the ground (into her own puddle of water!), and reaches a hand out to help her up, both of them panting hard as he snaps the fingers of his other hand, a brief crackle of red energy passing between them as her quirk comes back online.

"_Wow_," Shinsou breathes, and Izuku turns to see him staring at the two of them, eyes wide. "Are you related to Eraserhead?"

Izuku shrugs. "Yeah," he replies. Shinsou's eyes go, if possible, even wider.

"I'm still keeping my quirk a secret at school so that I can get a leg up on the competition," Izuku continues, first looking at Shinsou, and then turning a glare at Mashirao and Aomi. "So no telling."

"Wouldn't dream of it!" Aomi says, pulling off a snappy salute.

"I'm keeping mine a secret, too, for now," Shinsou adds, looking around the group. "So same to you."

"That's great," Isozaki drawls. "Midoriya, get moving. You have cleaning to do."

"Yes ma'am," he says.

The rest of the group cools down and stretches as he cleans up and they all linger with him despite the presence of all their parents there. Izuku catches sight of a woman with long purple hair, a similar shade to Shinsou's, and points her out to him.

"Is that your mom?" he asks.

"Older sister," Shinsou replies. "My mom's the one with black hair. They both insisted on coming to pick me up, even though I told them they didn't need to."

"Oh, so that's actually your mom talking to _my_ mom," Izuku says.

Shinsou squints. "Oh, I can see the resemblance now."

"Can you?" Izuku asks, voice dry. "It's not like we have the same hair color, or the same eyes, or anything like that."

He smiles as Shinsou snorts. "Okay, fine. It was pretty obvious."

Mashirao hangs back, saying his good-byes as the other six walk over to the parent group, together. Hiraku pats Shinsou on the back as he leaves with his brother, telling him that he's looking forward to Thursday. Wakana waves and grins—a full, shark-toothed grin—at Shinsou, prompting her mother to look at her like she's grown a second head.

Izuku observes Shinsou's mother and sister as the class disburses. There's an expression of disbelief, carefully masked, and something sours in Izuku's stomach.

He ignores it, for now, turning to Shinsou with a grin. "I'll see you in class tomorrow!"

"See you," Shinsou replies, waving as Izuku turns to leave with his mother.

"So that's Shinsou," she says, and Izuku nods. "I was talking with his mother. You should invite him over for dinner sometime."

"Alright," Izuku says, already planning on doing that.

Snipe runs out of class on Friday, leaving Class Rep Mori in charge.

"What the fuck is that about?" one of their classmates asks, staring out the door Snipe just rushed out of.

"No clue," Izuku replies, also staring.

"Hey, does this mean we can go home early?" One of the slacker-adjacent kids (no true slacker could get into U.A.) asks.

"No!" Mori says, standing up and striding to the front of class. "Instead we can, uh, do a talent show?"

"Full class study session!" someone suggests, and then everyone's suggesting things to do, all one over the other, speaking all at once.

"_HEY_!"

Everyone freezes, shutting up to turn and see Yamazaki standing at her desk in the back corner, hands flat where she'd slapped them down on it.

"Be _respectful_!" she snaps. "Snipe left Kazuko in charge. Kazuko, what are we doing?"

"We are…" Mori pauses, clasping her hands together. "Going to watch educational videos."

"Ah, a staple of substitutes everywhere," someone says, just as Izuku gets a text from Aomi.

_did snipe just run out of class? cause mr. kan just did and i'm curious_

His stomach drops as he types out a response.

_Yes. Something must be wrong. Our Class Rep is putting on a video—what's happening there?_

The reply comes a few moments later.

_chaos. we were in the middle of practical training so everyone just kinda went all battle royale and poor kendou can't get anyone in line because monoma started a revolt :\_

Oh. Oh boy. All of a sudden, Izuku is _very_ glad he's not in class 1-B, though he can't shake the feeling that something very, very wrong is happening, to have two teachers rush out of class _at the same time_.

That's when he notices Wakana's eyes on him and turns to catch the question in them. He texts her the answer.

_Aomi just told me that Vlad King ran out of 1-B the same time Snipe did_

Wakana's eyes widen as she reads the message, and she looks over at Izuku, worry written all over her expression.

Izuku, for his part, texts Mashirao—_Did Mr. Aizawa just run out of class?_

There's no response.

That's okay, maybe he was dealing with a situation similar to Aomi's?

It's more worrying when there's still no answer fifteen minutes later.

As a matter of fact, Izuku doesn't get his answer until school's almost over, when the P.A. system crackles to life and Nedzu makes an announcement.

"_Students, I regret to inform you that class 1-A was attacked by villains during a field trip today. Press is already at the gates, and you will be escorted out the back entrance by class, starting with the first years' class 1-B. To our knowledge at this moment, everyone involved will recover, so please don't panic!_"

Wait, what? Izuku leaps to his feet, heart in his throat. Class 1-A was attacked by villains? Mashirao's in that class! Iida, Shouji, Jirou, and Tokoyami are in that class! _Aizawa is their homeroom teacher!_

Wakana had stood with him, and they look at each other, the same expression of shock on their faces. They knew what they were told to do, but what _should_ they do?

"Midoriya, Nakano, sit back down," Yamazaki snaps. Her expression looks… tighter. A lot tighter.

They do as they're told. There's nothing they can do in this moment, is there.

Ten minutes later, and Ectoplasm is the teacher sent to retrieve them.

"If you'll follow me in an orderly fashion," he said. An order, not a request.

The class does so.

Izuku and Wakana walk together to the train with a group of their 1-C classmates. Shinsou walks just behind Izuku, slouched with his hands in his pockets. Izuku can't shake the buzzing in his ears.

_His friends had just been attacked_.

His _school_ had just been attacked.

Some people point and whisper. The attack is already being reported on, it's already in the news, and they're all wearing U.A. uniforms.

No one approaches them, though.

"Can I go home with you?" Wakana asks, her voice a ghost in the noise of the train.

"Let me ask my mom," he says. There's no way his mom will say no.

She doesn't, so Wakana doesn't get off at her stop. She gets off with Izuku and follows him to his apartment. Shinsou tags along, a tall, silent purple shadow.

His mother is waiting when he and his friends come inside. She takes one look at them, gasps "oh, Izuku", and all but runs over to pull him into the biggest hug she can manage. It takes him a moment to remember to hug back.

"I haven't heard from Mashirao, or Mr. Aizawa," he whispers.

"I'm sure they're okay," she replies, her voice soft.

He has no tears at the moment, none of them do, so his mom settles them on the couch with feel-good movies and a whole bunch of popcorn.

_heroes or bust!_

_Ojiro Mashirao_

_received: 18:01_

_I'm okay_

_Roka Aomi_

_received: 18:01_

_oh thank fuck_

_Shibayama Ichihei_

_received: 18:01_

_I'm so glad! I was so worried when I saw the news!_

_Koizumi Hiraku_

_received: 18:01_

_Oh that's so good to hear. They initiated lock-in protocols here and wouldn't tell us why until they sent us home. I was so worried._

_Roka Aomi_

_received: 18:01_

_is everyone in your class ok? shouji? jirou? tokoyami?_

_Ojiro Mashirao_

_received: 18:02_

_Yeah, they're all okay. There were almost no major injuries._

_Nakano Wakana_

_received: 18:02_

_Almost no?_

_Ojiro Mashirao_

_received: 18:02_

_None of the major injuries were students._

"No," Izuku whispers, staring at his phone, the noise of the movie blurring into the background of his mind.

"We can't know for sure that Mr. Aizawa was one of the major injuries," Wakana says, and Izuku shakes his head, pushing her hand off his shoulder as he stands and begins to pace.

"No, no, Mashirao—no, there's a _reason_ Mashirao isn't saying any _specifics_, it's because he _knows_ and he's not—he's—he's," Izuku stutters to stop, with his words and his movements.

"No," he whispers, sinking to his knees as his mother and friends rush over.

_heroes or bust!_

_Shinsou Hitoshi_

_received: 18:07_

_Was Mr. Aizawa one of the major injures?_

_Ojiro Mashirao_

_received: 18:23_

_Yes_

**i hope you enjoyed this chapter! thanks to everyone who's reviewed, favorited, and followed! i appreciate every one!**

**anyways how's everyone doing with that social distancing lol**

**i'll see you all next time!**

**(x-posted on ao3, username: orkestrations)**

**Hiraku: *comforts Shinsou***

**Shinsou: I'm gay**

**Shinsou: I'm not here to make friends.**

**Hero Hopefuls Class: *exists***

**Shinsou: I have six friends**

**Vlad King: *leaves***

**Monoma: Is this license to cause chaos?**


	6. i WILL be telling my mom about this

**warnings: none**

**literally just a light-hearted chapter before the sports festival**

Class isn't canceled on Saturday. Izuku meets Shinsou, Wakana, and Mashirao on their way to school, and they walk in together, an oppressive air hanging over them, intensifying as they walk into the building. They slowly, reluctantly, part ways and head to their individual classrooms.

Most everyone in 1-C seems to be unaffected by the events of the day before. There are a few exceptions: Kita looks terrified. Yamazaki, back in her corner, has a dark expression on her face.

And, in her desk behind Izuku's, Mori looks somber and serious. He sits down in his desk and turns around to look at Mori as she's reaching forward to tap his shoulder. Her eyes widen for a moment, and she leans back in her seat.

"Are you okay?" she asks. "I know you have friends in 1-A."

"Yeah," Izuku replies, nodding. "All my friends are okay—none of the students were majorly injured." And his mother had received the message last night that Aizawa, while massively beat up, was expected to recover in time.

"That's good," Mori says, smiling at him. It looks strained. "It must have been scary. I was scared, and I don't even know anyone in 1-A!"

"Yeah," Izuku says, swallowing the lump in his throat. "It was." Ugh, he couldn't wait for his session with Dr. Mori—_wait_. "Are you related to Mori Hanae, by the way?"

Mori's eyebrows shoot up to her hairline. "Yeah. She's my aunt. Are you one of her patients?"

Izuku nodded. "She's a really great therapist," he says. And she really, _really_ was. His mother, when his quirk came in, had taken a chance on Dr. Mori, telling her at least _most_ of the truth about Izuku's father, and Dr. Mori had kept her secrecy.

"Yeah, she is, isn't she?" Mori replies, laughing a little. "I don't… officially have any sessions with her, since she's family, but she's helped me out a lot over the years!"

They have to cut their conversation off as Snipe walks in, but Izuku gives Mori one last, soft smile before turning around to face the front of the room.

"We're still havin' the Sports Festival," he says, "so all yous gunnin' for hero course don't gotta worry a bit about that."

Izuku tries not to make his sigh of relief too obvious, but at Wakana's look, he knows he's failed.

Someone messages the group chat during the teacher change.

_heroes or bust!_

_Ojiro Mashirao_

_received: 09:00_

_ Midoriya Izuku GUESS WHO DRAGGED HIMSELF TO WORK_

_THERE ISN'T AN INCH OF HIM THAT'S NOT BANDAGED_

_[image- this hardcore ]_

_me_

_sent: 09:00_

_what a goddamn hypocrite_

_"Midoriya don't overwork yourself! Midoriya take time to recover! Midoriya take it easy when you're injured!"_

_SEE IF I EVER LISTEN TO HIM AGAIN_

_Shinsou Hitoshi_

_received: 09:01_

_are you sure that's your teacher and not an imposter with a mummy quirk?_

_Ojiro Mashirao_

_received: 09:01_

_OH MY GOD_

_I'M SENDING THAT TO THE 1-A CHAT_

_what if he is an imposter oh no_

_Aizawa's too smart to come to work this hurt right?_

_me_

_sent: 09:02_

_Actually, this is perfectly in character for him_

_Roka Aomi_

_received: 09:03_

_ Ojiro Mashirao there's a 1-A chat? OwO_

_Ojiro Mashirao_

_received: 09:03_

_No, I will not add you to it_

_Roka Aomi_

_received: 09:03_

_:( QnQ_

Izuku had to put his phone away as his next teacher walked in. Kayama looked worn out, a little worse for the wear, but she still brought her usual spunk to class as she slapped the blackboard with her whip.

"Just because we had a little excitement yesterday doesn't mean any of us will be going easy on you today!"

Izuku waits at U.A. after his classes are over for the day. The hero students have an extra period in the day, so he needs to wait until that's over before he can go confront Aizawa. Wakana and Shinsou wait with him, all three of them working on their English assignment together, until it's time, and then they make their way across the school.

There are still students in 1-A's classroom as Izuku slams the door open, all of them startling and turning to look at him. His gaze zeroes in on one person, at the front of the room, looking just as he had in the picture Mashirao had sent the group chat.

"_Mr. Aizawa_," Izuku growls.

"…Midoriya." Wow, his mentor is even harder to read with all those bandages covering on his face.

He can feel the eyes of the hero course students on him, he can hear Wakana and Shinsou following him, but he ignores those things as he stalks into the classroom and right up to Aizawa's face.

"You _goddamn_ hypocrite," he says, pointing in Aizawa's face. "If I'm not allowed to go to school after getting a concussion, then you're not allowed to come to work with _a fractured orbital floor_."

Someone whispers "_oh my god_" from somewhere behind him. Izuku ignores it in favor of staring Aizawa down.

They stand there for several moments, filling the room with friction, but eventually, _Aizawa blinks first_. He can hear one or two of the hero course students gasp but ignores them.

Aizawa sighs. His breath catches a little, on the inhale. Broken ribs? Recover Girl probably couldn't heal _everything_ at once, given the extent of the injuries…

"You're getting bold," Aizawa finally says.

"That's your fault," Izuku replies, taking a step back and crossing his arms. "I _will_ be telling my mom about this."

"I have no doubt that, if you don't, Mic or Midnight will," Aizawa replies. He looks over Izuku's shoulder, eyes narrowing, and Izuku turns, catching sight of the remnants of class 1-A in the room, all staring with wide eyes. There's Yaoyorozu, and Izuku waves at her with a small smile. She, almost distractedly, waves back.

He turns back to Aizawa, points at him again, says "get some rest," and then leaves the classroom with Wakana and Shinsou.

"_Wow,_" Shinsou breathes. "You just chewed out _Eraserhead_."

"Yeah?" Izuku says, shrugging. "He's not _that_ scary."

"_Right_." Shinsou sounds skeptical, and Izuku just shrugs. He'll figure it out for himself, sooner or later, that Aizawa, underneath all the layers of 'I don't give a shit' and 'I'd rather be sleeping', is a huge softie (in some ways).

That night, Kayama is the only one who shows up for dinner. That's okay—Yamada had texted ahead, saying that he was forcefully keeping Aizawa at home, a decision that Izuku and his mom both agree whole-heartedly with. Hopefully he'll spend Sunday just sleeping and recovering, but for some reason, Izuku doubts that.

So Kayama shows up, wearing a large purple sweater and bringing a bottle of wine to split with Inko.

"Shouta told me to ask you how guns with Snipe went today," she says to Izuku as she walks in, setting the wine on the table. It's a brand that Izuku knows his mom likes, a little on the expensive side, but not so expensive that she can't afford to buy some occasionally for special occasions.

"Well, we _did_ go see Power Loader. He kept having to chase this girl out of the lab," Izuku replies, and Kayama nods, understanding crossing her features.

"Yeah, he's been complaining about that a lot," she says. "If it's the kid I'm thinking of, her name's Hatsume. From what I hear from Majima, she's going to be one of the greats, if she can just keep herself alive that long."

Izuku nods. She certainly had been enthusiastic, despite not being allowed in the labs yet (due to being a first year in the first month of schooling).

"So," he says, setting his pen down, taking a break on his homework. "We're still holding the Sports Festival."

Kayama sighs. "Yeah. We are. That's good for you, but there were some serious concerns about security. I don't think you'll need to worry about it, though, we're going to be using the next weeks to make sure it's as safe as possible."

"I'm not worried," Izuku replies. "The staff at U.A. are all top-notch heroes. It'd be pretty stupid to attack an event where _all_ of them are in one spot, right?" He smiles, a little shaky, trying to hide the doubt he still feels. "Especially on the heels of one attack, when security's sure to be stronger than ever."

Kayama's laugh is soft. "I'm glad to hear you have faith in us." She gently bumps his shoulder with her fist before walking into the kitchen to help Inko finish up dinner. Izuku watches her go before picking up his pen to keep working on his homework, gears turning in his brain.

The next week, Izuku spends gathering information about the other classes. Mashirao is happy to help, in the spirit of fairness, while Aomi is less inclined to snitch on her classmates. Izuku may or may not sneak into spots to observe practicals with the hero students as well. Shinsou's steadily improving at hand-to-hand, probably not enough for it to carry him through the tournament, but it's a noticeable difference and the hero hopefuls are ready and generous with their praise.

It's over the two weeks leading up to the Festival that Wakana, Izuku, and Shinsou all realize that they have the _exact_ same strategy to get through it, which is, essentially, the same strategy that those who came before them used. If it works, it works: they'll push their way through the first two events without their quirks and then save them until they _really_ need them in the tournament. Their greatest weapon will be the element of surprise.

There's really only one notable event leading up to the Sports Festival, occurring the Thursday before it happens. Mashirao is the one who messages the group chat about it.

_heroes or bust!_

_Ojiro Mashirao_

_received: 16:11_

_It finally happened! The first of our class has fallen_

_Roka Aomi_

_received: 16:11_

_wow that's dramatic_

_what happened_

_Ojiro Mashirao_

_received: 16:11_

_Aizawa finally expelled someone_

_me_

_sent: 16:12_

_Was it the grape kid?_

_Ojiro Mashirao_

_received: 16:12_

_THE GRAPE KID_

_Yes_

_me_

_sent: 16:12_

_I overheard him complaining about the grape kid to Yamada and Kayama._

_Ojiro Mashirao_

_received: 16:12_

_Honestly, it was about time. I was just waiting for it to happen. Now there's a slot open for… one of you_

_me_

_sent: 16:12_

_It's going to be me_

_Shinsou Hitoshi_

_received: 16:12_

_that slot is mine_

_Shibayama Ichihei_

_received: 16:13_

_I cannot wait to watch you two beat each other up on national television_

_Shinsou Hitoshi_

_received: 16:13_

_honestly, if they pair me up against Midoriya in the tournament, i'm just screwed, no two ways about it_

_Nakano Wakana_

_received: 16:13_

_:)_

_I think I will just do my best_

_And then petition to transfer in later, when you two aren't jockeying for the spot_

_Roka Aomi_

_received: 16:13_

_you're so much nicer than they deserve_

That night, Izuku gets added to a group chat with just Shinsou and Wakana in it.

_general tomfoolery_

_Shinsou Hitoshi_

_received: 21:03_

_do either of you want to go declare war on 1-A with me on saturday?_

_me_

_sent: 21:03_

_Go do WHAT_

_I mean, sure, why not_

_Shinsou Hitoshi_

_received: 21:03_

_great_

_this really obnoxious guy from 1-B told me about it actually_

_he was an asshole_

_me_

_sent: 21:04_

_So you're doing what this asshole is?_

_Shinsou Hitoshi_

_received: 21:04_

_i never pretended not to be an asshole_

_me_

_sent: 21:04_

_You Got Me There!_

_ Nakano Wakana You up for it?_

_Nakano Wakana_

_received: 21:04_

_Sure!_

_I will smile at them :D_

_me_

_sent: 21:05_

_They're going to be shaking in their boots_

_Shinsou Hitoshi_

_received: 21:05_

_as they should be_

_so according to the obnoxious guy, they're going to ambush 1-A outside their classroom as school lets out on saturday_

_Nakano Wakana_

_received: 21:05_

_[thumbs up emoji]_

_me_

_sent: 21:05_

_[thumbs up emoji]_

_…Hey you remember when I yelled at Aizawa a couple weeks ago right?_

_Shinsou Hitoshi_

_received: 21:05_

_lmao how could i forget_

_me_

_sent: 21:06_

_There were 1-A students who witnessed it_

_Shinsou Hitoshi_

_received: 21:06_

_OH_

_they're going to be terrified_

_this is going to be so much fun_

_Nakano Wakana_

_received: 21:06_

_:D :D :D_

**I CANNOT WAIT TO SHARE THE SPORTS FESTIVAL CHAPTERS**

**see i went into them with one idea, then during the cavalry battle, the characters were like 'no we're gonna do this not that' and. i think it's a pretty unique outcome? i, personally, haven't seen many fics that handle the cavalry battle and tournament part the way i have.**

**thank you to everyone who's read, reviewed, favorited, and followed!**

**see you next time!**

**(x-posted on ao3, username: orkestrations)**

**(tumblr: orkestrations)**


	7. PLUS ULTRA!

**warnings: some dealings with anxiety, extensive capslock (mic is,,, loud), Izuku Says Fuck**

Shinsou, Wakana, and Izuku stand with Mori and Yamazaki in the class 1-C waiting room. Their classmates are milling around, talking about the upcoming event, wishing each other luck. While Izuku's trio are some of the most ambitious, they're not the only hero hopefuls in 1-C: there's Adachihara in the corner, scowling as he stretches his legs. Fukui is doing some jogging in place, warming up with a couple others, and Hamasaki is chatting with a couple students who sit near her, doing their best to psych each other up.

Kita, Wakana's friend, is standing at the edge of the group of five, her arms crossed over her stomach and her face drained of color.

"Hey," Izuku says, stepping closer to her. "You anxious?"

Kita doesn't say anything, just nodding miserably, and Izuku leans over to whisper in her ear, like he's sharing a big secret. "So am I." She looks over at him, blue eyes wide. "There's going to be a lot of people watching, and this is my best chance to make it into the hero course, so I need to perform well! So, really, I'm very anxious, too!"

"You don't look it." Kita's voice is small, strained.

Izuku shrugs. "I've had a lot of practice with anxiety. Would you like some tips?"

Kita nods.

"First thing—don't cross your arms over your stomach! Make big poses instead. That can help trick your brain into thinking that you're not as scared as you actually are." Izuku demonstrates, planting his feet shoulder-width apart and putting his hands on his hips. "The second tip is to breathe into it! Take a deep breath, hold it for a few moments, and then let go!" He demonstrates again. "You want to try?"

She uncrosses her arms, hesitant, and puts them on her hips. She's still a little hunched over, but she widens her feet a bit, and takes a deep, shaky breath.

"And then I also shake out the tension," Izuku adds, taking his hands off his hips to shake them out. "Moving and getting the energy out helps a lot!"

Kita shakes her hands and starts moving, and once she does, she doesn't seem to stop. She starts bouncing in place, and Izuku starts bouncing with her. The two of them are their own little ball of frenetic energy, joined eventually by Wakana, until, soon before they're called to the field, Yamazaki puts her hands around her mouth and yells.

"_HEY! CLASS C!_"

Everyone stops, all nineteen students turning to look at her. She stands on top of the table, her dark eyes wild as she looks around the group.

"Now, I know we're just here to make the hero course look good," she says, shaking her head. "I also know that there's some of us here that want to make it in there themselves. And, with the first student of 1-A having been expelled recently, there's an open spot that someone in this class is almost certainly going to take."

"It's gonna be me!" Adachihara yells, jabbing his thumb at his chest.

"It could be any of you," Yamazaki replies, glaring at him. "But, even for those of us who _aren't_ aiming for those hero course spots, we should still go out there to _win_. We're class 1-C! We're not just here to make those hero-course numbnuts look good! We're all here with our own ambitions, our own dreams, our own _pride_! We're going to go out there and _MAKE_ those hero kids fight for their spots! Let's go beyond, class C!"

"_PLUS ULTRA_!"

The whole class joins in on the last cry, even Kita, even the half-asleep Akiyama. They punch their fists in the air, and yell, and make some noise.

And, as one, they fall silent as the announcement calling them to the field rings out over the P.A. system.

"Well," Yamazaki says, glaring at the door. "It's go-time. Let's go, Class C!" She jumps off the table, taking her spot next to Mori.

The two girls take the lead, and class 1-C falls in step behind them.

It's blinding and deafening to step out into the light of the field from the dark of the hallway. Many of the students, Izuku included, shield their eyes or cover their ears, but at the front, Yamazaki does not, staring over at 1-A with determination in her eyes.

Those are the students to beat. They, and their counterparts in class 1-B, are the ones Izuku's been studying, learning about their quirks from Mashirao and from his (perhaps unauthorized) spying on their practical heroics exercises.

The arrival of the rest of the first-year classes to the field is quick. Izuku catches sight of Hatsume, the pesky Support Class student, in with Class 1-H, decked out in inventions. The cheers of the crowd are spurred on by Present Mic, screaming at them all over the speakers, until the first years are all assembled in front of the presenting platform.

Even more cheers and yells break out as Midnight steps up to the platform, whip in hand. She's wearing the most recent incarnation of her costume, with the corset, bodysuit, and vents (which is much more practical and, honestly, appropriate for teaching students than any of her previous costumes).

"Quiet, everyone!" She snaps her whip over her head, and the stadium quiets to a murmur. "Representing the students is Bakugou Katsuki from Class 1-A!"

Murmurs break out amongst the students as Bakugou steps forwards. Izuku can hear the things students in 1-A are saying.

"It's _that_ guy?" a girl asks, sounding a little angry at the thought.

"Well, he _did_ place first in the entrance exam!" a boy replies.

Izuku feels someone shift behind him. It's Oshiro, a girl with brown hair and the girl who bragged about scoring second on the entrance exam.

"In the _hero_ course," she spits out, glaring over at class 1-A.

The two students who were talking have the sense to look at least a little censured, ducking their heads and dropping their voices. Oshiro hmpfs and crosses her arms, and Izuku can almost feel the weight of her irritation.

Everyone falls quiet as Bakugou finishes stepping onto the platform. He's slouching, with his hands in his pockets, and taking slow, deliberate steps. He pauses, right before the mic, and everyone falls silent, waiting for him to speak.

"I pledge," he says, "that I will be number one."

There's a moment, and in that moment, Izuku can see the rest of class 1-A groaning and bemoaning Bakugou's action. Then that moment ends, and Izuku can feel Oshiro, and many of the rest of the first years, yelling at Bakugou, booing him. Iida rushes forward, making a big motion with his arm.

"Why are you doing something so disgraceful?" Iida demands, and Bakugou turns around, an entirely apathetic look on his face.

"At least become a nice, bouncy step for me to jump off," he says, giving all the other first years a thumbs down. He walks down off the platform as Tetsutetsu of 1-B rushes forwards, yelling at him.

A small, bitter part of Izuku hopes that _someone_ makes Bakugou eat those words in the most humiliating way possible.

The more competitive part of Izuku wants that to be him.

_Just wait,_ says his inner Aizawa. _Remember your strategy._

Remember your strategy.

Your strategy.

The strategy had been hashed out and settled by Izuku, Shinsou, and Mashirao, sitting together in a small tea shop and drinking strong smelling tea. None of them had particularly flashy quirks (Izuku's came the closest, just because its activation had some neat visual effects), so they'd have to rely on something else to get them through. A lot of the hero course students would probably look down on and underestimate Shinsou and Izuku, as general studies students. And, the final fact, Izuku and Shinsou's quirks would work best with the element of surprise.

So, the strategy was simple: play into those and make everyone underestimate them further. The first event was one that would normally eliminate a mass amount of people. The typical number of students to advance from it was, on average, 48, although in past Sports Festivals as few as 26 to as many as 78 had made it through.

To be on the safe side, Izuku, Shinsou, and Mashirao only had to make it in the top 20.

The second event tended to be team-based, so, they'd choose each other (if they were allowed to) and try and make it through by being as uninteresting as possible (with the backup plan being whatever Izuku could come up with on the fly, if that wouldn't work).

And then, as long as they could make it through the second event, they'd be onto the bracket tournament. This was _always_ single elimination, and it was here that the three of them could truly shine.

(Well, as long as none of them get paired off against each other.)

"Now, let's get started!" Midnight retakes command of the crowd, resting her whip over her shoulder. "The first round is what you'd call a qualifier, and this is where many students drink their tears each year! Now, for our fateful first game!" With a sharp snap of her wrist, a screen pops up and a spot on it begins scrolling, finally landing on 'obstacle course', as she turns to read what it says.

"All eleven classes will participate in the race! The course will be the outer circumference of the stadium- about 4 kilometers!" She turns to face the students again, pointing out at all of them. "Our school's selling point is freedom! As long as you stay on the course, it doesn't matter _what_ you do."

"Now, take your places everyone!"

The students rush over to the line Midnight gestures at, all 219 of them. The tunnel they have to run through is narrow, likely the first true obstacle they have to face: getting through the crush of the crowd.

Mashirao seems to be taking his chances at the front, and Izuku reaches out to snag Shinsou's elbow before the taller boy can join him.

"Wait," he says. "Mashirao has his tail to get out of situations. We should start at the back, to see what comes out to play in the tunnel. We don't want to get caught, if Todoroki uses his quirk the same way Mashirao said he did in their first practical."

"Right," Shinsou says, nodding and joining Izuku and most of the management course at the back with one last look at the front.

They end up standing next to a small blond boy who has a little robot on his shoulder.

"I wish they could let us just drop out of the festival," he says, speaking with another student.

"You'd stand a chance if you'd ever get glasses," the other student replies, rolling their eyes. "Your inventions are at least as good as Hatsume's."

"I don't even want to compete, though!"

"They need us to make the hero course's win in this event look impressive," another student replies with a dry voice, and Izuku turns his attention away from them and back to the lights counting down to the start of the race.

Finally, the last light turns off, and as predicted, everyone crashes into the tunnel at once, pushing and shoving at each other.

_"OKAY, HERE'S THE PLAY-BY-PLAY! ARE YOU READY TO DO THE COMMENTARY, MUMMY-MAN?_"

"_You're the one who forced me to come._"

Ah, so Yamada had roped his husband into helping and was now calling him names to a stadium of thousands. Classic Present Mic.

And, moments after the majority of the students had entered the tunnel, Izuku's prediction comes true: there's a rush of cold air, and everyone in the tunnel's had their feet iced to the ground.

"Shinsou! Shoulders!" Izuku snaps, running forward and vaulting onto someone's shoulders. Shinsou's nowhere near as graceful about it, but the two of them do some weird mutant crowd-surfing. The students are all pressed close enough together that no one buckles under the sudden weight of one of the two landing and pushing off their shoulder.

"_AND WOW! LOOK AT THAT, THOSE TWO ARE LITERALLY __**STEPPING**__ OVER THEIR COMPETITION!"_

Damn it, Mic. Don't call attention to them! At least it's only a small moment, in comparison to the focus Todoroki and the ones at the front who dodged the ice attack got.

The crowd thins out on the other side of the tunnel, many of them there still struggling to get out of the ice. Izuku sees Oshiro and Mori struggling, while Adachihara uses his quirk to spring forward and over the ice.

The two of them leap down from their high path, Izuku rolling to absorb the impact. The ground is iced over for quite a way and Izuku pauses to think.

His quirk could probably completely negate the ice here on the ground. That's a lot of ice, though, and it's helping just as much as it's hindering, considering the vast majority of their competition is frozen to the ground.

It only takes a moment to decide, and Izuku crouches down, pulling the tape off the finger on his right hand and then pressing all five to the ground. With a quick flash of red lightning along the ice, it vanishes, and Izuku takes off running.

"_WOAH! WHAT WAS THAT? WHATEVER THAT RED FLASH WAS, TODOROKI'S ICE IS COMPLETELY GONE! WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT?"_

Oh, now that's a bold-faced lie. Yamada knows _exactly_ who's responsible.

"Risky play," Shinsou pants as Izuku catches up to him. Izuku doesn't respond, just nodding. He can hear some of the noises of confusion from ahead.

Then, there's a yell, and then more yelling, and Izuku and Shinsou run out in time to see all these big robots appear out of nowhere, a pink girl laying on the ground and groaning nearby.

"The entrance exam robots!" someone yells, and Izuku sighs. Too bad Hiraku's dodging this dose of karma.

"_OBSTACLES HAVE SHOWN UP SUDDENLY!"_

_You don't say_, Izuku thinks.

"_STARTING WITH… THE FIRST BARRIER! ROBO INFERNO!"_

Todoroki is the first to move, judging by the way the front one is suddenly covered in ice. Izuku and Shinsou keep moving forward, far enough back that the way the frozen one is falling won't affect them much.

"_TODOROKI, FROM CLASS 1-A! HE ATTACKED AND DEFENDED IN ONE HIT! HOW ELEGANT! HE'S THE FIRST ONE THROUGH! IT'S ALMOST UNFAIR!"_

"_His actions are logical and strategic."_

_"AS EXPECTED OF SOMEONE WHO GOT IN THROUGH RECOMMENDATIONS!"_

Ah. Well, of course the son of the Number Two would have been through the recommendation exams. If this was the level of competition, no wonder Iida'd had to also go through the open hero exam as well.

Shinsou and Izuku run forward, and Izuku vaults onto the fallen robot with no hesitation… just in time for a 1-A student to burst out through the metal, knocking Izuku off his feet.

"Fuck! Were you under there?" Izuku asks, his eyes wide as he looks the student (_Kirishima Eijirou_, he puts together using the knowledge from Mashirao and his own observations).

"I'm okay though!" Kirishima shoots him a thumbs-up, just as _another_ student with an almost identical quirk bursts out. Izuku just shakes his head, stands up, and keeps running.

More robots come forward, filling up the space. Shinsou and Izuku are some of the first heading for them, along with members of class 1-A, which includes Bakugou.

Bakugou, who is _definitely_ screaming something about "shitty Deku". Whatever. Izuku's got more important things to worry about.

Izuku dodges the first swing of a robot, diving between it and another and rolling to his feet. He makes his way through playing the dodge game, ducking and weaving and tricking robots into hitting each other out for him. He's making his way through the thick of it, while Shinsou makes his way around the edges, and the hero course students dive right in.

He makes it through and out into the open, with the robots focusing on the students still approaching. By this point, he's tuned out Present Mic and Aizawa's commentary, the world focusing down to just him and this race. He and Shinsou find each other again, running alongside each other until they reach the second obstacle: a canyon, with pillars, linked to each other by tightropes.

There are quite a few students already into it: Bakugou, flying over it with his explosions. Todoroki, gliding along with his ice, and a girl who's jumping along the tight ropes with what has to be a frog quirk (_Asui Tsuyu_).

And there, at the edge, Power Loaders shining star: Hatsume Mei, who's talking loudly as she readies herself to fly across the chasm.

"See you on the other side!" Izuku yells, kind of accidentally in Shinsou's ear, before turning to run over to Hatsume. "Mind if I hitch a ride?" he asks, not waiting for the answer and just wrapping his arms around Hatsume's shoulders.

"Oh, you're that general studies student who keeps bugging Power Loader! Yeah, sure, why not, it'll just make my babies even more impressive!"

Izuku grins, and hangs on for dear life, wrapping his arms and legs around her as she fires one of her belt grapples and leaps off the edge.

It's wild, exhilarating, thrilling, flying through the air with Hatsume. She's screaming, he's screaming (probably in her ear), and it takes them maybe a minute to get across. They land, Hatsume's hover shoes the MVP in that moment, and Izuku all but falls off her back and onto his feet.

"That," he says, his heart pounding, "was awesome."

"I know!" Hatsume yells. "My babies are the best!"

"Yeah! They are!" Izuku grins, and then they're off, running together towards the third barrier: the minefield.

Hatsume… literally just turns on her hover shoes and takes off, not triggering a single mine. It's that easy, and Izuku stifles a chuckle, imagining Bakugou's reaction to seeing this support student overtake him.

He keeps an eye on it, even as he picks his way through the mines. It's so obvious, the moment that Hatsume overtakes them: both boys stop grappling with each other and then chase after her.

She's not really chasing the first spot, Izuku can tell, considering Bakugou and Todoroki both overtake her. From what he could tell, she had proper equipment to at least delay both of them, and instead _didn't_.

Smart, considering the fact that winning the first event tends to nerf you for the second event, even if that's just putting a target on your back.

In the end, Hatsume comes in third and Izuku manages a respectable eleventh. Mashirao's in at sixteenth, and Shinsou and Wakana are the last of their little group at twenty-first and twenty-second. Aomi makes it in at about sixtieth, and Izuku wonders if she'd been caught in the tunnel.

Midnight retakes the presenting platform, stepping up to the mic. "The first event of the first-year stage is finally complete! Let's take a look at the results." A screen pops up, with the first 42 on it. "The top forty-two make it onto the next round! It's unfortunate, but don't worry if you didn't make it! We've prepared other chances for you to shine. The real competition begins now! The press cavalry will be all over it, so give it your all!"

She cracks her whip, cuing the screen again. "Now, here is the second game. I already know what it is, but what could it be? What could it be? I just said it, and now here it is: the cavalry battle!"

Midnight explains the event, and, just as Izuku knew there would be, there's a kicker to first place: Todoroki's point value is ten million. Izuku's own point value is 160.

"Now, you have fifteen minutes to make your own teams!"

Izuku turns to Shinsou and Mashirao, who had come to find him after making it through the obstacle course.

"So?" he asks. "Are we teaming up or would the two of you prefer to find another team?"

"Well, we already have a strategy!" Mashirao says, stepping closer to Izuku and ruffling his hair with a hand. "Might as well stick together."

"Great!" Izuku holds up his left hand and Mashirao high-fives him. "Shinsou?"

Shinsou sighs. "While I'm a little pissed at you for running off without me back there—"

"I'm sorry!"

"—We might as well stick together."

"That's great," Mashirao says, pulling Shinsou closer with his tail.

"Alright!" Izuku fist-pumps. "Shinsou, you should probably be the rider! Mashirao and I are—"

"Excuse me."

The three turn. Jirou is standing there, her earphone jacks wrapping and then unwrapping around each other.

"Can I join your team?"

**i'd like to warn y'all now that, while this story is pretty lighthearted at the moment, it's gonna take a turn pretty damn fast after the sports festival. i finally figured out kinda the overall story i want to tell with this and it's going some pretty intense places, which include character deaths and stuff.**

**(a lot of my planning involves "how can i do this But Worse")**

**so! y'know. shit's gonna get real. let's go lesbians**

**thank you to everyone who's faved, followed, and reviewed! i appreciate every one of you**

**(x-posted on ao3, username: orkestrations)**


	8. Todoroki: bitch -- Shinsou Hitoshi

**warnings: capslock, mentions of guns (given that Snipe exists as a character)**

**YEAAAHHHH LET'S GO LESBIANS I'M SO EXCITED TO SHARE THIS CHAPTER**

"_NOW, ELEVEN TEAMS LINE UP TO TAKE THE FIELD FOR U.A.'S BLOODY BATTLE!"_

Izuku glances to his left and right. There's Shinsou and Mashirao, and he can feel Jirou's weight above him. Maybe they're not the most impressive team when it comes to their quirks, but hopefully, that will be their most effective weapon. If everyone's looking elsewhere, then they won't be looking at them.

They're nowhere near Wakana's team, thankfully. With Wakana herself as the rider, there's no doubt that she's planning on using her quirk in this event. She can only project her voice so far, so as long as his team stays well away from her, they should be safe.

Their team is actually at the end, next to only one other: Team Tokage, one of two three-person teams. They'd have to keep an eye out for Tokage's limbs, especially with her as the rider. The other two on her team were Kendou and Kodai.

The arena held their breath as Midnight counted down, finally snapping her whip down and yelling, "_Begin!_"

Everyone's first move was to rush Team Todoroki. Everyone, that was, except for two teams: Team Monoma and Team Jirou. Izuku could see Tokage's tunnel vision as she ran in, and it was simple work for Jirou to snatch Tokage's headband as she was distracted.

Further away, the first confrontation between Team Todoroki and Team Bakugou began. Iida, Kaminari, and Yaoyorozu's legs had sunk into the ground, likely thanks to Honenuki of 1-B's quirk. In response, Todoroki sent up a wall of ice that was summarily blasted through by Bakugou. It bought them enough time, however, for Todoroki to freeze the softened ground, allowing Iida and Yaoyorozu to break through it.

"Let's lay low for now," Jirou says. Her weight shifts as she looks around the field. Aside from Team Bakugou and Team Tetsutetsu, Team Asui and Team Shiozaki are also going after Team Todoroki. At a quick glance, it appears that Team Monoma is using the same strategy as Izuku's team: while they're watching, Monoma snatches a headband off Yanagi.

Fukui, Yanagi's left, is not stupid. He reaches out and wraps a blue-scaled tail around Kuroiro's leg and yanks.

It's a lucky strike: if he'd had Kaibara as the closest to him, it hardly would've worked. Kuroiro falls, as does the rest of the team, and Yanagi takes her headband back, along with Monoma's original.

"We have incoming," Mashirao says. "Team Kamakiri is coming, followed by Team Yanagi."

"Let's wait," Izuku says, "let them come to us. Jirou, as they approach, can you make feints at Satou's eyes?"

"Yeah," Jirou says. Her hands on Izuku's shoulders tighten.

She does as she says, and Satou's resulting flinch unbalances his team, tearing their hands apart and sending them to the ground. Jirou snatches Kamakiri's headband.

"Head for Team Todoroki!" Izuku says, stepping off. Hopefully they can outrun Team Yanagi, but if anything, the chaos around Team Todoroki should provide enough distractions for them to take advantage of.

Team Yanagi isn't the only one chasing them. It takes a few moments for Team Kamakiri to reassemble, but when they do, they're also coming for them.

"Those teams are slowing down!" Jirou shouts. "It's Team Nakano!"

"Leave them!" Izuku replies. "Let her have Yanagi's headbands!"

"Wait, I have an idea!" That's Shinsou, breathing hard, sounding strained. "Nakano knows my quirk, but none of the others do! How long does it take for Nakano to sing us to sleep?"

"Depends!" Izuku replies. "Thirty seconds to a minute!"

"That's long enough time! As soon as they go down, Jirou, you grab Nakano and Yanagi's headbands!"

"Go for the ones Yanagi has, they're higher points!" Izuku adds, seeing Shinsou's idea taking shape in his mind. Team Kamakiri is already down, succumbing to Wakana's quirk, but her team blows right past him, heading for Team Yanagi, which is falling. And, as Izuku begins to hear that unearthly tone of Wakana's voice, Shinsou yells.

"HEY! ADACHIHARA! DO YOU _REALLY_ THINK YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO JOIN THE HERO COURSE?"

"WHAT ARE YOU EVEN—" Adachihara _stops_ as Shinsou's quirk takes effect, sending the whole team to the ground. Wakana stops singing, and the heavy, tingling feel in Izuku's limbs vanishes. Team Kamakiri and Team Yanagi both stay asleep, and Jirou is quick as a whip pulling Yanagi's headbands with one jack while she sends the other for Wakana's.

The trifecta is complete, Hamasaki too slow to try and snatch them back, and Team Jirou runs off with three more headbands and an even bigger target.

"It'll take them a while to regroup," Izuku says, "and Teams Kamakiri and Yanagi have to wake up, too. Let's put some distance in!"

The bloodbath situation has changed. Team Bakugou is now fighting Team Monoma, while Team Shiozaki, Team Tokage, and Team Tetsutetsu maintain their chase of Team Todoroki.

Team Asui, however…

"We have incoming!" That's Shinsou. "They're a fucking tank!"

"There's no way we can get in there, even with Jirou's jacks, and Shouji won't rise to any bait," Izuku says. "Let's just run and avoid Asui!"

"Jirou and I can take care of keeping her tongue away!" Mashirao says, the team shifting directions at Jirou's shifting weight.

It only takes a couple failed tries on Team Asui's part for an idea to bloom in Izuku's mind.

"Hey! Team Asui! Hang on, I think we can work together!"

"Wait, what?" That's Jirou, sounding startled.

The two teams come to a stop, facing each other.

"Midoriya. Explain," Yamazaki demands, peering out from the depths of Shouji's arms.

Izuku explains, panting. "We have three angry teams after us. There's only six teams with headbands right now, and four of them are in the middle of the bloodbath. We lead those three," he jerks his head at where Teams Kamakiri, Yanagi, and Nakano have finally regrouped, "into the bloodbath, and in the chaos, Asui—"

"Call me Tsuyu."

"—Tsuyu and Jirou can take whatever headbands they can get their hands, er, tongue and jacks on, and we can split points if necessary."

"_EEEHHH? WHAT'S GOING ON DOWN THERE? TEAM ASUI AND TEAM JIROU HAVE PAUSED!_"

Please, let no one on the field be listening to Present Mic.

"Midoriya's good for his word," Yamazaki says. "Let's do it."

"Okay!" Izuku grins. "Let's go right into the bloodbath then! Plus ultra!"

Jirou shifts her weight, and her team takes off running, followed by Team Tsuyu.

There's only a little bit of time left on the clock. If this is going to work, it needs to work quick. They have to dodge glaciers, soft spots (oh, Yamazaki is _so_ helpful for that, with her quirk), tangles of vines… The spot that the bloodbath's been happening in is a _mess_ of torn-up ground and it's honestly a bit of a second obstacle race, except the finish line is the clock.

Team Yanagi breaks off from the pursuit and seems to zero in on Team Tetsutetsu instead. Izuku watches Tsuyu's tongue flick out and snatch the headband off Tetsutetsu's head and then vanish back into the shadows of Shouji's limbs.

Tetsutetsu doesn't notice, but Yanagi does, yelling something at her team and pointing in the direction of Team Tsuyu and Team Jirou.

Team Nakano, meanwhile, is sedating Team Bakugou and Team Monoma.

"Tsuyu!" Izuku yells. "How long is your tongue?"

"20 meters!"

That's enough.

"You have an opening for Bakugou's headband!"

Her reaction is immediate, her tongue snapping out while Izuku, Shinsou, and Mashirao continue to carry Jirou away from Nakano.

"_I SEE WHAT THIS IS! TEAM ASUI AND TEAM JIROU HAVE CREATED AN ALLIANCE! __**IS THAT ALLOWED?!**__"_

_"There's nothing against it in the rules."_

The clock is still, still ticking down. Team Bakugou is asleep, lucky for Team Tsuyu, which is running at top speed away from Team Nakano. Team Monoma is also out, while Team Kamakiri is beginning to catch up to Izuku's team.

_That's_ when a glacier goes up, cutting Team Kamakiri off while trapping Izuku's team in with Teams Todoroki and Shiozaki.

Wow, they don't even _notice_ Izuku's team, completely tunnel vision on each other.

"What's the play, Midoriya?" Jirou asks.

"We wait," Izuku replies. "Can you hear what's happening on the other side of the glacier?"

Jirou sticks her jack into the ice. "Team Tsuyu is getting chased to hell and back, but they're doing fine. I think Bakugou's blowing his way through one of the other walls, and that weird… quicksand quirk is also being used."

"Softening," Izuku says. "That's Honenuki in Class B's quirk."

"Tsuyu just… threw something? Oh! She threw a headband out! Team Yanagi picked it up, but now there's two targets, so not everyone's going for Tsuyu anymore!"

"Oh, that's _smart_," Izuku breathes. He glances up at the screens displaying the time, thankfully still visible. There's a minute and a half left. "Let's move. Let's see if we can grab Todoroki's headband first."

"Wait! Todoroki just grabbed Shiozaki's!" Jirou says.

"Then now's the time to strike! Move!"

The team moves. Team Shiozaki is doing whatever they can to grab their headband back, but it's just a plain bad matchup. Todoroki freezes every vine send his way, and Dark Shadow can do nothing against Kaminari and Yaoyorozu.

(It would be a complete curb stomp if Todoroki would use the other half of his quirk, so _why doesn't he_?)

Last minute. Bakugou's team breaks through the wall, and now Team Todoroki has two teams to fight off.

"Shinsou, as soon as Jirou grabs the headbands, I want you to just start insulting the shit out of everyone on their teams! Okay? Insult Hatsume's babies, anything will do with Bakugou, and ask Todoroki why he won't use his fire! Okay?"

"Got it!"

Jirou reaches.

Jirou grabs.

"HEY HATSUME! YOUR BABIES? THEY'RE NOTHING!"

"Whaaa—"

"BAKUGOU, YOU'RE SHIT!"

"OI, FUCK YOU—"

"TODOROKI! WHY ARE YOU LOOKING DOWN ON US? USE YOUR FUCKING FIRE! BITCH!"

Todoroki says something, too quiet for Izuku to hear, but it's enough. Todoroki and Bakugou both go still, and Hatsume _stops_, sending Team Shiozaki crashing to the ground.

From the corner of his eye, Izuku can see Team Tetsutetsu running for them just as Jirou finishes pulling back. "Pivot right!"

They move, and the ground starts softening below them, when—

"**_TIME!_**"

They drop Jirou, as gently as they can, and all four lean on each other, panting. There's _quite_ the collection around her neck.

"Shiozaki," she pants, leaning on Izuku's arm. "She grabbed her headband back—but," Jirou holds up a piece of white cloth. "We got the ten million."

"FUCK YEAH!" Izuku screams, punching both fists towards the sky.

"_LET'S LOOK AT OUR TOP FOUR, AND __**WHAT**__ A TOP FOUR THEY ARE! IN FIRST PLACE, TEAM JIROU WITH 10,002,090 POINTS!"_

Izuku can't help it. He screams again, this one wordless, this time, joined by his teammates. He feels Mashirao's arms wrap around him, and then Shinsou's joining the hug, and then even Jirou.

"That was amazing," Jirou gasps.

"_IN SECOND PLACE, TEAM ASUI WITH 1,210 POINTS!"_

Izuku turns, seeing Shouji lifting a waving Tsuyu and Yamazaki up.

_"THIRD PLACE GOES TO TEAM SHIOZAKI WITH 700 POINTS!_"

Team Shiozaki themselves are all laid flat on the ground, but when their name is called, they still manage to throw their hands up.

"_AND FOURTH PLACE BELONGS TO TEAM YANAGI, WITH 305 POINTS!_"

The members of Class B who are on the field flock to Yanagi's team, cheering and lifting the members of it, including Fukui, on their shoulders.

"_NOW, THERE'S A BIT OF A PROBLEM HERE! WANNA HELP ME OUT, ERASER?"_

_"There's one team of three in the top four, and every other team is tied for fifth place."_

_"EXACTLY! NORMALLY, WE'D JUST HAVE THE FIFTH PLACE TEAM ELECT A MEMBER TO MOVE ON TO THE TOURNAMENT! HOWEVER, WE CAN'T REALLY DO THAT. IT WOULD PROBABLY CAUSE A FIGHT TO BREAK OUT, AND WE DON'T REALLY WANT THAT!"_

_"SO, AS A COMPROMISE, THE FIRST PLACE TEAM WILL SELECT A STUDENT FROM THE FIFTH-PLACE TEAMS! YOU'LL HAVE HALF AN HOUR TO MAKE YOUR DECISION. WHEN YOU'VE DECIDED, PLEASE FIND EITHER ME, MIDNIGHT, OR ERASER TO GIVE YOUR ANSWER TO!"_

"Oh boy," Jirou says, looking over at the fifth-place teams, who seem to have locked on to their team. "I think we should leave."

Team Jirou reunites in a side room with their food.

"Our classmates are all cut-throat little backstabbing bitches, huh," Jirou says as she unwraps her sandwich.

"Except for Tsuyu and Shouji," Mashirao says. Jirou nods.

"Except for them. They're cool. Hey, who was the other girl in with them?" She directs this question at Izuku and Shinsou.

"That was Yamazaki," Izuku replies. "She's Class C's Vice Rep. I don't think she wants to join the hero course, so I wonder if she's staying in the—" His phone buzzes. It's Yamada, telling him that Yamazaki's dropped out, so now they have two people to select. "Well. That answers that."

Jirou frowns. "Did you just get a text from a teacher about that?"

"Maybe," Izuku replies, shrugging. "We have two people to pick now, then."

"I think Nakano should be one," Shinsou says.

"Well, obviously," Izuku agrees. Jirou looks a little confused.

"She was the one singing, right? Her voice puts people to sleep?"

"Yes," Mashirao replies.

"She can also implant suggestions while they're asleep, but she doesn't really like to do that," Izuku adds.

Jirou nods. "Okay. I agree. She wants to be a hero?"

"Yes," Mashirao says. "She actually trains in a group with Shinsou, Izuku, and I." He points at Shinsou and Izuku as he says their names.

Jirou's hand comes up to cradle her chin. "So that's how you know each other."

"Well, Shinsou just joined," Mashirao replies, smiling and shrugging. "But we're happy to have him!"

Jirou raised an eyebrow. "I didn't take you for the friends type."

"Just try and get Izuku to change his mind once he's set it on something. I dare you." Shinsou's voice is flat, and Izuku grins.

"Anyways, our second one?" Jirou steers the conversation back on track, taking a bite of her sandwich.

"Do any of the other general studies students in the competition want to join the hero course?" Mashirao asks. His eyes… are _so_ kind and earnest.

"Well, Oshiro just wants to show up everyone. I doubt she's actually interested in transferring," Izuku says, frowning. "That leaves Hamasaki and Adachihara. Adachihara's kind of… He's kind of an asshole. I'd rather give the spot to Hamasaki, honestly. Not to mention, Adachihara probably could've made it in through the hero exam, given his quirk. He doesn't seem like a slacker to me, but he kicked through those robots at the beginning of the obstacle race easily enough."

"So, Hamasaki, then?" Mashirao asks. Jirou and Shinsou both nod.

"Alright, I'll text that to Present Mic," Izuku says, pulling out his phone. Jirou let's out a quiet "_a-ha_", and he takes a moment to smile at her. She smirks back. "And… sent."

"I'm going to message the 1-A chat and let everyone know that we've made our decision, and stop blowing up our phones, please," Mashirao says.

"Oh, thank you, that's great," Jirou replies, shuddering. "I kind of hate them all right now."

**_heroes or bust!_**

**_Roka Aomi_**

_that was fucking great!_

_holy shit you wiped the field with them!_

**_me_**

_It was all Jirou, honestly_

**_Shinsou Hitoshi_**

_don't undersell yourself_

_you're the one who thought to team up with team tsuyu_

**_Koizumi Hiraku_**

_Yeah! That was super cool! We've all been watching and my classmates were super psyched when I was like "yeah three of the first place team are my friends!"_

**_Nakano Wakana_**

_You did great :)_

_It's going to be fun watching you fight in the tournament_

**_me_**

_I'll see you there :)_

**_Nakano Wakana_**

_:O_

**_Ojiro Mashirao_**

_Did you think we weren't going to choose you to move on?_

**_Nakano Wakana_**

_I didn't want to presume_

**_Shibayama Ichihei_**

_Wakana's moving on to the tournament? That's great!_

Meanwhile the teachers of U.A. were having an exhausted meeting of their own sort.

"What an _upheaval_!" Kayama gushes. "I was not expecting that at all! For not one, not two, but _four_ general studies students to make it to the tournament? I don't think that's ever happened!"

"It _hasn't_," Aizawa says. If he could, he would be laying facedown on the couch. Alas, his orbital floor would not appreciate that.

"And it's about to be five!" Yamada pipes up. "I just got a text from Midoriya—they picked Nakano and Hamasaki of Class C to move forward!"

"I have _lost_," Kan whines, "_so much money_."

Snipe, from where he's sitting in a corner with his feet up on the back of a chair, speaks up. "My money's been on Midoriya making it to the tournament the whole time."

"My money's on Midoriya _winning_ the tournament," Kayama snaps back, winking at him. "I'm thinking that's very likely. Only _two_ of Shouta's powerhouse students made it through, and those were through almost sheer dumb luck!"

"I thought for _sure_ Monoma, or Kendou, or Tetsutetsu would make it through," Kan says, staring into his glass of orange juice like it'll answer the unanswerable.

"A lot of people were sure Todoroki or Bakugou would make it through, yet here I am, quite a lot richer," Majima says, glancing at his phone.

Kayama sighs. "Ah, you always bet on the underdogs, and finally, you won."

At that moment, the door opens, revealing a small-form Yagi Toshinori who looks like he just saw death come for him and escaped by the skin of his teeth.

"Endeavor is not happy," he says.

"Did you just see him? I'm surprised you're not fried," Kayama replies.

"I wasn't powered up," Yagi replies, shaking his head. "He ignored me."

"Augh, I bet a lot of people beside just Sekijirou here are upset," Yamada says, playfully poking Kan's shoulder. "We haven't had that kind of second round upheaval since Shouta's first year!"

"Well, that _was_ Shouta's protégé throwing those wrenches, so I'm not surprised," Kayama replies.

"Wait," Yagi says, blinking, "Aizawa has a protégé?"

"Yes," Aizawa replies.

"His nephew!" Yamada adds, grinning, and suddenly Yagi's eyes widen in recognition. "The one you found covered in sludge in a tunnel with a naked man about a year ago, if I'm remembering the story right!"

Snipe drops the gun he was cleaning. "Excuse me, _what."_

**Snipe lacks some Important Context**

**this chapter is the one where i was possessed by the spirits of everyone in Class C who were like "anyways fuck the hero course, let's throw some wrenches in that machinery"**

**i have been so excited to share this chapter and see everyone's reactions. rereading it to write the warnings and do some quick editing is such emotional whiplash from the chapter i wrote last night, though. like wow. i'm currently working on the aftermath of the upcoming character death and y'all. y'all. it hurts so sweet.**

**anyways, thank you to everyone who's read, reviewed, followed, and faved! i appreciate y'all so much.**

**catch you next time :)**

**(x-posted on ao3, username: orkestrations**


	9. i have made a Mistake

**warnings: capslock, Endeavor**

"_HEY HEY HEY AND WELCOME BACK! WHAT GREAT RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES, HUH? ARE YOU READY FOR OUR TOURNAMENT?"_

The crowd cheers. Izuku can hear them, standing where he is, waiting to be called into the arena, where he will fight Tsuyu.

"_IT'S PROMISING TO BE QUITE THE INTERESTING ONE! I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT THESE STUDENTS HAVE IN STORE FOR US, ESPECIALLY AFTER THAT CAVALRY BATTLE!"_

_"FIRST UP: WE HAVE CLASS A'S RESIDENT BELOVED FROG GIRL, ASUI TSUYU!"_

The crowd roars as Tsuyu, presumably, steps into the arena.

"_VERSUS…. CLASS C'S MIDORIYA IZUKU, THE MASTERMIND BEHIND THE ALLIANCE THAT TURNED THE TABLES! HE'S ONLY USED HIS QUIRK ONCE FOR THE ENTIRE FESTIVAL, AND I DOUBT ANY OF YOU COULD TELL ME WHAT HE DID!"_

Izuku steps forward, into the light. The crowd is cheering, and Izuku can see Tsuyu waiting for him, up on the platform. She waves as he joins her, and he waves back.

"_THE RULES ARE SIMPLE: FIGHT UNTIL ONE OF YOU IS IMMOBILIZED OR OUT OF BOUNDS!"_

"_FIND YOUR PLACES!"_

Tsuyu and Izuku are already in their places, staring each other down across the space of the court. He has a small advantage: he knows her quirk, while she knows nothing of his.

"No hard feelings?" he asks.

"No hard feelings," she confirms.

"_FIGHT!_"

Tsuyu makes the first move, leaping forwards, crossing meters of space with a single jump. Izuku pivots, sending her sailing past him, and she lands just beyond where she'd been aiming. She turns, just a little too slow to counter his fist, and it smashes into her cheek, knocking her backwards. Izuku follows up with a sharp knee to the stomach. Her breath wheezes out of her, and he hooks one leg behind hers with the intention of throwing her to the ground.

It works, and he hesitates. He _knows_ the spectators are there for a show. Most of him says: make it efficient. Don't draw it out. Don't make it any more humiliating than it has to be. Another part, though, asks: what if the crowd is _bored_? They just got robbed of seeing the flashiest quirks in action.

He doesn't get a choice. Tsuyu kicks him, sending him flying halfway across the court and rolling a few meters more. She _almost_ knocked him out of bounds with that one kick, and he scrambles to his feet as she stares at him from across the arena.

"You hesitated," she says.

"Just thinking. The crowd wants a show, right?"

She nods. "Right. You want to give them a show?"

"Do you?"

Her eyes narrow, and Izuku feels a fresh dose of adrenaline hit his veins. "Come get me," she says.

Oh.

Oh _no._

She's making him _chase_ her.

Izuku sighs. Well, he wanted to give them a show, so this'll be a _show_. He starts running across the court, dodging her tongue once, twice, and then she jumps away.

They spend several minutes doing this, and the whole time, Izuku wishes he had just thrown her out of bounds when he had the chance. She's not letting him get close, and he'll never be able to close, considering how easily she leaps away, and he's just going to get tired—

A pink tongue flashes by his ear as he ducks to the right.

_Wait_.

He could bring her to him.

She leaps away again, and he pauses to catch his breath.

"What's wrong?" Tsuyu asks, her voice warm with amusement. "Getting tired?"

"You wish," Izuku replies, grinning and pivoting to run towards her again. His focus narrows down to one moment—There! Her tongue! It's aimed at his left shoulder, and as it reaches him, his left hand flashes out and wraps around it. Automatically, he leaves his pinky up, despite his quirk generally not working against mutations.

He turns, his stance widening, and brings his right arm up to also grab Tsuyu's tongue. It's pretty sticky, thankfully, so it's not like he's trying to hold onto something as slippery as a normal tongue (he's also trying not to think of the fact he's holding onto her _tongue_).

With his grip found, he _pulls_, seeing Tsuyu's eyes widen. She makes the choice to leap forward and _up,_ over him, but he reels her tongue in like he's reeling in a rope and she's pulled down, towards him. Her arms open up, and she crashes into him, wrapping her limbs around his body like a starfish and sending him crashing to the ground. His arms are free, thankfully, and he reaches behind her head, grabs a handful of hair, and _yanks_.

She cries out, startled, and her right arm lets go of his torso to reach around and free her hair from his grip. With his free hand, his left hand, Izuku jabs her in the solar plexus and throwing her off. In the moments she tries to recover, he picks her up and carries her to the boundary line. She struggles, but also she's trying to breathe again, and it's not much trouble to just… toss her out of bounds.

_"ASUI IS OUT OF BOUNDS! MIDORIYA WINS!_"

A couple of the on-call nurses run to the court from the sidelines to fuss over Tsuyu. One of them glances him over but, well, he only took one hit that entire fight, really, so they're not very concerned about him.

The two nurses help Tsuyu off the field as she regains the ability to breathe, with Izuku hovering awkwardly around them. Yeah, they said the whole "no hard feelings" thing before they started, but it's one thing to say that and another to carry it out after getting punched.

"That was a good fight," Tsuyu croaks, now walking under her own power. "Thanks for letting me show off a little. Can I call you Midori?"

"Yeah, of course!" Izuku replies, grinning at her. "You made it a real challenge, too! I started chasing you and I was thinking, _I have made a mistake_, because I didn't think there was any way I could catch you! And of course you can call me Midori."

"But you figured it out," Tsuyu replies. She blinks up at him, and he gets the destabilizing feeling that she's looking through him to his soul. "You're very resourceful, aren't you." It's not a question, and Izuku reaches up to twirl a lock of hair in his fingers.

"Yeah," he shrugs, feeling a blush rising to his cheeks. "Anyways, I'm sure your classmates are waiting for you to join them!"

"They are," Tsuyu agrees. "Good luck in the rest of your fights."

"Thanks!"

They separate, heading for their individual class sections. Izuku turns the corner…

…And runs right into Endeavor, bouncing off his chest.

Endeavor _towers_ over him. The flames on his shoulders, on his _face_ make him to be some sort of titan, and the expression in his eyes as he looks down at Izuku makes his blood freeze.

There's so much hatred there.

"I'm sorry," Izuku says, straightening up and keeping eye contact with Endeavor. "I didn't see you there."

Endeavor says nothing, and Izuku keeps his shoulders back and chin up as they stare each other down.

"You got lucky in the cavalry battle," Endeavor speaks first.

"That wasn't luck," Izuku snaps back, meeting the pro's glare with one of his own for the first time.

Endeavor's eyes narrow, his glare, if possible, growing more severe.

"Just know," he growls, "the next time you compete against Shouto, you _won't_ be so lucky."

With that, Endeavor shoves past Izuku, shoulder-checking him into the wall. Izuku's stunned for a moment before he turns to look over his shoulder at Endeavor's back.

"There's a whole hallway, you know!" he calls. There's no response, so Izuku just rubs the shoulder that had hit the wall and continues up to where the rest of his class is waiting. Mori waves him over, patting the open spot next to her. Izuku joins her, since Wakana and Shinsou are both already down in the waiting rooms, preparing for their goes.

Down in the arena, the match between Hamasaki and Rin has just started.

"That was a great match!" Mori says, slinging an arm around Izuku's shoulder. He tenses, for just a moment, and she's about to remove it when he reaches up and stops her. He relaxes, and she leaves her arm there.

"Thanks," he says.

Down in the ring, Hamasaki dodges another round of Rin's scales. So he can fire them off for distance attacks. That's important to remember if Rin's the one to win this round.

"Who do you think will win?" Akiyama leans down. His eyes are tired, but he's watching the ring below with interest.

"Hamasaki stands a strong chance of winning if she can just close the distance," Izuku replies, one hand coming up to cradle his chin. He wishes he'd brought one of his notebooks up, or grabbed his phone out of 1-C's staging room. "If Rin can keep her at range, then he'll probably win by virtue of outlasting her. I doubt he's figured out exactly what her quirk is, so he might be waiting until she uses it to make any big moves."

How long can Rin keep firing his scales, though, before he runs out of stamina? He also needs to save energy for future fights, if he expects to make it past the fight with Hamasaki, which means he can't afford to keep firing scales at her indefinitely.

Down in the ring, Hamasaki is making moves. She extends her arms, the elastic limbs coming at Rin from two sides while she extends her legs to jump over his projectile scales. It's over in moments after that. He dodges one hand, but the other one is there, grabbing a wrist, and then the other arm is wrapping itself around him, and then he's wrapped in her arms, writhing like a snake.

"_RIN IS IMMOBILIZED! HAMASAKI WINS!"_

The arena starts cheering, and in the 1-C seats, the whole class jumps to their feet, yelling and screaming.

"_WHAT A TWIST! SO FAR, TWO OUT OF TWO MATCHES HAVE GONE TO GENERAL STUDIES STUDENTS! WHO WOULD'VE THOUGHT THAT'S HOW THIS FESTIVAL WOULD GO?"_

On the other side of Mori, Yamazaki is screaming her head off.

"I didn't take you as someone to be so invested," the student sitting on Yamazaki's left, Nakamura, says.

"Kyou is actually very competitive!" Mori answers for her friend, clasping her hands in front of her as she smiles.

"Then why didn't she move on to the tournament?" Nakamura asks, tilting her head.

"Because I don't want to move to the hero course," Yamazaki replies, shrugging. "Others do. I'd rather give them that chance than steal it for myself when I don't even want it."

"Oh," Nakamura says, and Izuku feels a flash of warmth towards Yamazaki.

"That's super cool of you," he says, leaning around Mori to smile at the short girl. "That's really generous!"

Yamazaki looks back at him, narrowing her eyes, and then nods and ducks her head.

_"NEXT UP: WE HAVE THE BEAST OF CLASS B, SHISHIDA JUROTA!"_

Izuku leans forwards, recognizing the name of Shishida's quirk. It's a transformer type, according to Aomi, allowing him to grow to a larger size (not that he needs much help with that), with the downside of making him much more… rash.

"_AND ON THE OTHER SIDE, CLASS C'S SYREN SONG, NAKANO WAKANA!"_

Wakana looks _tiny_ standing across from Shishida, but her shoulders are squared and Izuku knows exactly what her expression must be, despite being unable to see it.

_"FIGHT!"_

Shishida immediately activates his quirk while Wakana begins singing. Most of the stadium can't hear it, since she really doesn't want to put all the spectators to sleep, but there's no doubt in Izuku's mind that Shishida is getting the full brunt of it.

His powered-up form must grant him a resistance to it, though, because it's slow to take effect, and Wakana needs to put a lot of effort into dodging, which occasionally interrupts her voice, which makes it take even longer to take full effect on him.

It's inevitable, though, and five minutes in, Shishida slumps to the group.

_"ACCORDING TO THE RULEBOOK, UNCONSCIOUSNESS COUNTS AS IMMOBILITY! NAKANO WINS!_"

Once again, the 1-C section loses their shit, and the excitement is beginning to spread to the other general course sections, with 1-D and 1-E starting to throw support behind their fellow general studies students. Mori turns and wraps her arms around Izuku in exaltation, and he can't help but hug back.

"_THAT'S THREE FOR THREE IN THE GENERAL COURSE MATCHUPS! THE NEXT ONE IS A BIT DIFFERENT, THOUGH, NO GENERAL STUDIES STUDENTS HERE!"_

There's an electric current running through them as they all sit down, chattering and talking to each other. They just have Shinsou and Fukui left to go, from their class, but Izuku is looking forward to watching the next match.

"_NOW COMING IN, WE HAVE URARAKA OCHAKO, CLASS A'S INFINITY GIRL!"_

Ah, she's probably called that after her score on the softball throw, one that Mashirao had relayed to the rest of the friend group with excitement.

"_AND ON THE OTHER SIDE, THE ONLY SUPPORT COURSE STUDENT TO MAKE IT TO THE TOURNAMENT, HATSUME MEI OF CLASS H!"_

Hatsume strides out, grinning and waving to the crowd. She's wearing her 'babies', yes, but so is _Uraraka?_ Izuku is… a little confused.

"Why is Uraraka wearing support gear?" Akiyama asks, echoing Izuku's thoughts.

It becomes obvious as soon as Mic calls for the fight to begin. It's a marketing ploy. Uraraka can't even get _close_ to Hatsume.

Rather than watching the match, most of class 1-C turns their attention to Hamasaki and Wakana as they walk up together. The two girls are chatting, Wakana grinning as wide as Izuku's ever seen her, and Izuku can't help the smile that spreads across his own face in response.

"I can't wait to meet you in the pit," Hamasaki says, walking towards Izuku with a lopsided smile on her face. "You're going _down_."

Izuku hums, noncommittally. "Don't get cocky," he says, smile returning. "You don't even know my quirk yet."

"You… don't have one, right?" Hamasaki asks, frowning. "I could've sworn I heard somewhere that you're quirkless."

"Oh, I have a quirk," Izuku replies, his smile growing just a little wider and just a little toothier. Hamasaki gulps.

"That sounds threatening," she says, taking a step back. "I feel threatened."

The match ends after Hatsume's shown off all her support gear, the 1-H student stepping out of bounds on her own and bowing to the audience.

_"AND HATSUME'S STEPPED OUT OF BOUNDS! URARAKA WINS!_"

"That is _not_ a win," Izuku whispers. Meanwhile, Yamazaki turns and looks over her shoulder at the rest of the class.

"Look alive, everyone!" she yells. "Shinsou's next!"

A cheer rises from the class, shouts of 'go Shinsou!' and 'yeah!' and 'Let's go, Class C!' rising up. Most of them are participating excitedly, but Adachihara looks angry and Oshiro's lip is curled up in a small sneer. Oshiro, at least, cheers for Shinsou, despite looking like she'd rather rip his skin off herself.

_"AND FOR OUR NEXT MATCH, STANDING OUT FOR HIS FOUL MOUTH DURING THE CAVALRY BATTLE, CLASS C'S SHINSOU HITOSHI!"_

…Shinsou yelled loud enough that the spectators could understand what he was saying? Okay. Whatever. The roar from the general studies section is still loud, and Shinsou glances back, catching sight of all three classes on their feet, cheering for him.

_Please win, Shinsou,_ Izuku thinks.

"_AND IN THE OTHER CORNER, CLASS B'S GHOST GIRL IN RESIDENCY, YANAGIIIII REIKO!"_

Yanagi was one of the Class B students that Aomi brought around to lunch with the group as often as possible. Out of everyone, she got along the best with Tokoyami. Hopefully Shinsou had seen enough of her to know what buttons to push.

_"FIGHT!"_

There's no way to hear what Shinsou says, and no way to read his lips with his back to Izuku and his head tilted down like that. Yanagi responds, though, and goes still, and then she turns and walks herself right out of bounds.

_"AND YANAGI IS OUT OF BOUNDS! FOUR FOR FOUR WITH THE GENERAL STUDIES STUDENTS, SHINSOU WINS! WHAT AN UPSET!"_

There's a moment of confused silence from the General Studies classes, but Izuku and Wakana both take the courage to jump to their feet and cheer for their friend, and like a spell is broken, the rest of the class follows suit.

Yanagi and Shinsou speak with each other as they walk out of the field together. It's hard to tell, with those two, what the emotions involved are, and Izuku resolves to ask Shinsou as soon as he gets upstairs.

_"FOR THIS ROUND, WE FINALLY HAVE TWO HERO COURSE STUDENTS FACING EACH OTHER! BOTH FROM CLASS A, WE HAVE OUR MANY-ARMED FRIEND, SHOUJI MEZOU, AND OUR PURE-HEARTED LADY OF NATURE, SHIOZAKI IBARA!"_

Shiozaki was the rider of the team that had challenged Team Todoroki for the entire length of the cavalry battle. That took some guts, and some confidence, and she had a powerful quirk to back her up.

…It was unlikely that Shouji would win.

_"FIGHT!"_

It's over in moments. Shouji runs forwards, Shiozaki sends her vines out, and he can't even reach her before her vines wrap around him like a spider snaring her prey. Present Mic doesn't call it for a few moments, to see if Shouji has enough strength to break free, but he doesn't.

_"SHOUJI IS IMMOBILIZED! SHIOZAKI WINS!"_

"I hope Yanagi doesn't say anything to her about my quirk."

Izuku whips around to see Shinsou taking the seat next to him.

"I don't think they know each other," Izuku replies, leaning over to nudge Shinsou with his shoulder. "You did great, by the way!"

"Thanks," Shinsou replies. The corner of his mouth tips up in a smile, and Izuku grins back at him.

_"OUR NEXT FIGHT CONTAINS THE FINAL COMPETITOR FROM CLASS C, DRAGON BOY FUKUI RYUUNOSUKE, UP AGAINST CLASS A'S PUNK-ROCK PRINCESS, JIROU KYOUKA!"_

Izuku cheers for both of them. He can't necessarily call Fukui a friend, because they barely know each other, but he needs to stand in solidarity with the rest of his class.

On the other hand, Jirou is _definitely_ a friend and _definitely_ someone he's rooting for.

_"FIGHT!"_

Fukui has training. So does Jirou. In the end, it will come down to whoever can make the best opening for themselves most consistently.

And that's Jirou.

Despite his size advantage and his quirk, Jirou's constant feints with her earphone jacks has him almost always on the back foot, and she knocks him out-of-bounds with a final solid kick.

_"FUKUI'S OUT OF BOUNDS! JIROU WINS!"_

A roar, from Class A. While Shiozaki is a member of their class, she won in moments by beating another member of their class. Jirou's fight was drawn-out, close in skill level, and against a student of another class. Uraraka didn't get the same cheer because her win could only be called that on a technicality, given that Hatsume had controlled the whole fight.

"There's a fifteen-minute break between rounds, right?" Shinsou asks, and Izuku nods.

"Yeah. That's good for me—I get to see what Tokoyami is capable of," he says. Shinsou nudges his side with an elbow.

"You're getting awfully cocky there if you're already acting like you're going to face Tokoyami in the finals."

Izuku chuckles and ducks his head, heat rising to his face. "W-well! Not cocky! But I do think there's a strong chance I'll make it there."

"I know," Shinsou agrees. His smile is slightly bigger now. "But it might be _me_ you're fighting in the finals, you know."

"Well then we already know how that's going to go," Izuku replies, grinning at him. "I'll walk myself right out of bounds and save you the trouble of having to brainwash me."

That draws a laugh out of Shinsou, who covers the lower half of his face with a hand.

A heat rises to Izuku's cheeks that has nothing to do with embarrassment or the excitement of the day.

Present Mic's voice snaps his attention back to the arena.

_"IT'S TIME FOR THE FINAL FIGHT OF OUR FIRST ROUND! BOTH STUDENTS OF CLASS A, WE HAVE OUR TAIL-WIELDING TEEN, OJIRO MASHIRAO, FACING DOWN THE DREAD DENIZEN OF THE DARK, TOKOYAMI FUMIKAGE!"_

Izuku, Shinsou, and Wakana all cheer loudly for their friend.

"Go Mashirao!" Wakana's leaning over the railing, projecting her voice as loud as it'll go (which is, given her quirk, pretty loud). "Kick his ass!"

Mashirao glances back, surprise on his face before a smile spreads across his features and he turns back to the fight, facing Tokoyami.

_"WOW! CLASS C SURE HAS QUITE THE MOUTH ON THEM! DID YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS, SNIPE?"_

"Ooh, called out," Shinsou says, quiet enough only Izuku can hear him.

_"FIGHT!"_

Mashirao rushes forwards as Tokoyami summons Dark Shadow. He dodges the first strike by the quirk, but the second one lands, Dark Shadow nailing in the abdomen with his head and pushing Mashirao right out of the court.

_"OJIRO IS OUT OF BOUNDS! TOKOYAMI WINS!_"

Izuku cheers for his other friend, despite Mashirao's loss. It was disappointing, sure, but sometimes bad quirk matchups just… happened.

"Let's head down to the waiting room," Wakana says, standing. Fukui walks in, his head down and eyes narrowed, and he ignores his four classmates who leave as they pass by him. Izuku, the last in line, reaches out to grab his bicep.

"Hey, that was a good fight," he says.

"…Yeah. Thanks," Fukui replies, glancing over at Izuku. Izuku lets go and follows his classmates out.

Hamasaki splits off from them, ostensibly to go use the bathroom, and so the three of them can talk freely.

"Are you going to use your quirk on her?" Shinsou asks.

"I haven't decided yet." Izuku frowns. "Her win condition is to wrap her limbs around me. My win condition is to knock her out-of-bounds. I think…" he glances down at his hands. His wrists are wrapped, like usual, and all ten fingers are bare. "I think I'll use my quirk if I need to. I won't open with it, but I can probably use it even if she gets her arms around me. Hopefully I'll get her out before that happens."

"How?" Wakana asks.

"I'll probably play around the boundary lines," Izuku replies, imagining the fight in his head, thinking about what he'd seen of Hamasaki's fight against Rin. He hadn't seen much, but it would have to be enough. "Hamasaki is… raw. I don't think she has much training. She'll probably rely on me being unable to fend off attacks from multiple directions, like Rin. I'll probably just… try to grab and throw, like I did with Tsuyu. Although she might be expecting that…" he trails off into a mutter, considering plans and strategies until the three of them were standing by the waiting rooms.

"Well, good luck," Shinsou says, and Izuku smiles.

"Yeah, you too!" he says. "I'm sure you'll both do great."

"Thanks." Wakana's smile is small but genuine, once again not showing her teeth, while Shinsou nods.

"I'll see you in the finals," he says, putting a hand on Izuku's shoulder and pushing him into the waiting room. Izuku turns to wave before closing the door. He runs through some exercises, warming up his muscles until Midnight's voice over the PA summons him up to the field again.

_"ARE YOU READY FOR ROUND TWO OF THE TOURNAMENT?"_

The crowd roars. Izuku can't judge, properly, whether the crowd is any more or less excited than normal years, but he knows that they've given the world something to talk about.

_"WE START WITH THE CUNNING CLASS C STUDENT WITH THE MYSTERY QUIRK, MIDORIYA IZUKU!"_

Izuku steps out, once again, into the light.

_"AND IN THE OTHER CORNER, ANOTHER MEMBER OF CLASS C, SHE OF THE BENDY LIMBS, HAMASAKI MIO!"_

Hamasaki walks up to stand across the court from Izuku. She's swinging her arms and rocking forwards and backwards, but she smiles widely at him when he catches her eye.

He smiles back. "No hard feelings?"

"No hard feelings!" she agrees. "No matter which one of us wins, Class C advances to the semifinals!"

His smile widens to a grin.

_"FIGHT!"_

**Izuku: hey Tsuyu let's make this fun for the spectators!**

**Tsuyu: *****_baits him and jumps around the arena*_**

**Izuku: *****_chasing her*_**** I have made a Mistake**

**Izuku, surrounded by amazing people: I am TOO BI FOR THIS**

**i had a lot of fun with this chapter, particularly in coming up with Mic's epithets for the teens, lol. i hope you're enjoying your false cliffhangers, because they're going to be getting a lot more real soon!**

**i, too, like Izuku, have realized that i have also Made A Mistake. i'm looking at what i have written, and i'm looking at my outline, and realizing this is going to be a BEAST of a story. i'm at 57k written, and i've barely gotten to the final exams. so i will, on ao3 at least, be splitting this up into multiple stories since the series function there makes it a lot easier to do that. i am uncertain if i will do that here, since i don't like the fact that multiple stories of a series aren't linked to each other here.**

**thank you for everyone who's read, reviewed, faved, and followed. i appreciate every one of you.**

**(x-posted on ao3, username: orkestrations)**


	10. SOMEONE had to bite Midoriya's arm

**Warnings: none?**

Izuku's thoughts are right: Hamasaki presses forward, opening with the same move she used against Rin. He sidesteps, continuously moving and heading for the boundary line. Hamasaki seems content to attack, allowing him to draw her closer and closer as he dodges.

"So you're playing the Asui to my Midoriya!" she shouts, and he laughs.

"I sure am! I don't have a long tongue for you to grab, though!"

"Yeah, that was pretty gross to watch!"

Izuku glances back as she reaches again, and he dodges this most recent strike again.

"It… wasn't that bad, honestly! Her tongue was sticky, mostly!"

He's close enough.

"Still gross! I can't imagine having the audacity-!"

She strikes forward again. Izuku grabs her arm, sidesteps, and throws. She flies past him, over the boundary line, and lands in the grass.

_"HAMASAKI IS OUT OF BOUNDS! MIDORIYA WINS!"_

Hamasaki gasps until she regains her breath. "Oh my god. You were the Midoriya all along."

"I sure hope so!" Izuku replies, grinning as he hops down and holds out his hand to her. She takes it, and he hauls her to her feet. "That was a good fight. You're just… very predictable."

She laughs. "Yeah, I guess I am, in a fight!"

They walk out of the arena and back up to their class together. This time, there's no encounters with any angry on-fire pro heroes, which is now, oddly enough, a plus in Izuku's book.

"HEY!" Mori is the first to greet them at the top, holding her arms open. Both step in and let her wrap her arms around them. "That was great! Good job, both of you! Class C is putting up a fight!"

"What about Wakana?" Izuku asks, stepping out of the hug to look into the arena. Wakana and Uraraka were… already walking out of it?

Akiyama winces. "It was… quick? Nakano started singing, but Uraraka was fast. She touched Nakano's arm and then just… punted her out of bounds. Hawks actually had to fly up and fetch her before Uraraka could release her quirk."

"Well," Izuku says, eyes wide. "Okay then."

_"AFTER THAT LIGHTNING ROUND, WE HAVE THE LAST OF THE CLASS C STUDENTS UP: SHINSOU HITOSHI, THE MAN SO SCARY THAT HIS OPPONENT TURNED AROUND AND WALKED RIGHT OUT OF BOUNDS!"_

Shinsou walks out. He looks as relaxed as he possibly can be, with his hands in his pockets and a slight slouch.

_"VERSUS, OUR SHINING, QUICK ON THE TRIGGER LADY OF CLASS A, SHIOZAKI IBARA!"_

Shiozaki looks completely calm as she walks out, her hands clasped in front of her. She and Shinsou stare each other down, both looking completely unaffected.

_"FIGHT!"_

Once again, Shinsou says something, and, once again, his opponent turns around and walks herself right out of the arena.

"Huh," Izuku says, and then shrugs. "Yanagi really must not have told Shiozaki about his quirk."

"She didn't," Wakana says, and Izuku turns to watch her walk in and sit down next to him. "Aomi texted the group chat. Said that she talked to Yanagi, who agreed not to share anything with Shiozaki, for… various reasons, one of which included spectacularly dethroning 1-A. Mashirao also messaged and told Shinsou to poke at her faith, if he really wanted to get a rise out of her for sure."

Izuku nods. "Huh. Hey, sorry I missed your fight, by the way."

"It wasn't a fight," Wakana blinks and then swipes the back of her hand across her eyes. "It was a curb-stomp. It's okay, though, I wasn't really expecting to get as far as I did."

Izuku leans over and wraps an arm around her shoulders. "I'm sure you caught some attention."

"Yeah."

_"OUR FINAL MATCH OF ROUND TWO, ONCE AGAIN, TWO STUDENTS OF CLASS A! WE HAVE THE QUEEN OF PUNK HERSELF, JIROU KYOUKA, FACING THE KING OF GOTH, TOKOYAMI FUMIKAGE!"_

"Jirou's screwed," Wakana says, and Izuku nods.

"She'd stand a chance if she had any support gear," he agrees.

_"FIGHT!"_

It's over as quickly as Tokoyami's fight against Mashirao's was, Jirou pushed out-of-bounds by Dark Shadow.

_"AND JIROU IS OUT-OF-BOUNDS, SECURING TOKOYAMI'S WIN! WOW, THOSE WERE SOME LIGHTNING-FAST FIGHTS FOR ROUND TWO! WHAT WILL ROUND THREE BRING US?"_

"I guess I'm heading back downstairs now," Izuku says. He'd just gotten upstairs but. Oh well.

"Hey, good luck against Uraraka!" Wakana says, snagging his wrist as he stands. "She has a five-point quirk, like yours. I know you know that, but you can't let her use it on you because she _will_ throw you into the sun."

"I know." Izuku smiles. "Is she faster than I am, though?"

Wakana smiles, too. "I doubt it. Go get her." She lets go of his wrist, and he waves as he leaves the stands.

Fifteen minutes later, Izuku's waiting to walk into the arena once more.

_"WELCOME TO THE SEMI-FINALS! FOR THE FIRST MATCH, WE HAVE CLASS C'S MR. MYSTERIOUS HIMSELF, MIDORIYA IZUKU, VERSUS CLASS A'S ONE-SHOT WONDER, URARAKA OCHAKO!"_

Well, Izuku hopes that his quirk is really worth the hype Mic's giving it. He steps out, the roar of the General Studies department behind him. Across the court, Uraraka walks out, her face set into a determined look.

_"FIGHT!"_

This time, Izuku makes the first move, turning and running as he unzips the top of his gym uniform. Uraraka is coming for him, and in record time, he removes the top. He knows there's a brief flash of red light as his quirk activates on the shirt, but there's no way that anyone can guess what it actually does from that, just that it's a five-point quirk. He's wearing a black tank-top underneath (which has the colors of the trans flag across the chest, like those rainbow-stripe sweaters), so it's not like he's completely stripping in front of a crowd of thousands.

He's faster than Uraraka, dodging her and darting away from her as she comes after him, holding his gym shirt in one hand. Mic is going crazy up there, really focusing on just what he could be doing with his gym shirt.

Good. That's good. You go, Mic, you funky little cockatoo.

Unfortunately, it looks like the same strategy isn't going to work twice. The closer Izuku gets to the boundary lines, the more Uraraka backs off.

So, Izuku charges her. She reaches up with her right hand, her left hand coming back to protect her abdomen- smart. Izuku feints, like he's going in for an uppercut with his right hand (and transferring his gym shirt to his left), however. He takes his shirt in both hands and lifts it, moving to the left as he catches Uraraka's outstretched hand in the fabric. He twists that hand behind her and knocks her knees out from under her, taking her to the ground.

She lands on her chest as Izuku presses his left knee into her back. He has her fairly well pinned, but he doesn't think that counts in the rules of the tournament as she struggles underneath him. Besides, her left hand is still free, and Izuku reaches over with his left hand to grab that wrist while his right hand tightens its grip on the shirt keeping her right hand neutralized.

A brief flash of inspiration hits him, and he manhandles her left arm back towards her face. She struggles, but he has the leverage, and the superior strength.

(He needs all five fingers for that grip, but luckily Uraraka has her wristbands on, so he doesn't activate his quirk on her.)

She does, however, activate her quirk on _herself_. Izuku hasn't quite gotten her hand to position, but she's figured out what he's doing and curled that hand into a fist.

He just has to press her thumb down. There's a pink glow, and she looks immediately nauseous as he stands and, in one quick motion, drops his shirt and flings her out of the ring. She releases her quirk as she goes, but it's too late, and she rolls on the grass and pukes.

_"URARAKA IS OUT OF BOUNDS! MIDORIYA WINS! AND WHAT A PLOY!"_

He reaches down and picks up his gym shirt, putting it back on but leaving it unzipped as he walks over to Uraraka and holds his hand out.

"Hey," he says. "Good fight!"

She looks up, an absolutely sickened expression on her face. "…Yeah. You too."

"I'm sorry about making you use your quirk on yourself; I didn't think it would have this violent of a reaction!" he says, holding his hand out. She stares at it for a moment and then takes it, letting him pull her to her feet.

"That's okay," she says. "It was a good strategy. When you were taking your gym shirt off—there was this red light. Was that your quirk? I definitely had all five fingers on it when you caught me in it, and I didn't feel it go weightless."

Izuku chuckles and winds some of his hair around a finger. "Yeah," he replies. "It was."

Uraraka nods. "Good luck against Tokoyami," she says. "You're going to need it."

"Why are you so sure Tokoyami's going to win?" Izuku asks, the corner of his mouth tilting up. She turns and smiles at him, something hungry in her eyes.

"We figured out his quirk," she replies. "He's lost the element of surprise, and Tokoyami just has the superior strength there."

Izuku nods. "Yeah. Mashirao couldn't do anything against Tokoyami, so there's definitely not much Shinsou can do."

"Mashirao," Uraraka murmurs. "The two of you are friends?"

"Yeah," Izuku replies. "I've known him since I was eight, when I joined his moms' dojo."

"Oh, wow," Uraraka says. They pause, having reached the junction where they ways would part. "Well. Good luck against Tokoyami! I wonder if I'll be seeing you in my class soon!"

Izuku grins. "You can count on it," he promises. They wave to each other, and Izuku turns to walk to his waiting room.

There's a much shorter wait between the semifinals and the finals. It's only five minutes, enough time to give both competitors a break, and then they're being called back to the arena. _This is it,_ Izuku thinks. They're all going to see what he can do.

_"CAN I GET A __**YEEEAAAAHHHH**__?"_

The entire stadium screams back in response.

_"HERE IT IS, AT LONG LAST, THE MOMENT YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR: THE FINAL FIGHT OF THIS YEAR'S FIRST YEAR SPORTS FESTIVAL! IN ONE CORNER, WE HAVE CLASS C'S WUNDERKIND, THE DARK HORSE, THE UNEXPECTED, MIDORIYAAAAAAA IZUKU!"_

Oh.

Oh god.

Those cheers are for _him_.

_"AND IN THE OTHER CORNER, THE KNIGHT IN DARKENED ARMOR, CLASS A'S DARK KING, THE RAVEN-HEADED HIMSELF, TOKOYAMIIIIII FUMIKAGE!"_

Both boys walk out and face each other. Tokoyami, in spite of his quiet demeanor, has a _large_ presence. Something about his personality, the way he carries himself, the seriousness he approaches everything with… it's almost mythical, in a way.

Izuku hopes he has some presence of his own that can match.

_"ARE YOU READY FOR THE BEGINNING OF THE END?"_

The crowd roars again.

"No hard feelings?" Izuku asks, because as unfamiliar as they still are with each other, Tokoyami _is_ someone he considers a friend.

"No hard feelings," Tokoyami inclines his head, a small motion made large by his beak.

_"FIGHT!"_

Tokoyami's opening move is, once again, Dark Shadow. The beast comes out, bearing down towards Izuku, and Izuku.

Just.

Stands.

There.

Everything seems to narrow down into that one moment, Dark Shadow's narrow, golden eyes meeting his.

Just before Dark Shadow crashes into him, Izuku snaps his left arm up and all five fingers make contact.

A crackle of red energy, and Dark Shadow _vanishes._

"Holy shit!"

Tokoyami's eyes widen. He doesn't say anything, but he looks… stricken.

Ah, that's right. Izuku just negated a _sentient_ quirk. Ouch?

_"AND THAT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN AND THOSE OF US WHO KNOW BETTER, IS MIDORIYA IZUKU'S QUIRK AT WORK!"_

Izuku runs forward. Tokoyami snaps out of whatever funk he was in, just in time to put his arms up, but Izuku drops low, wraps his arms around Tokoyami's waist, and picks the smaller student up in a fireman's carry.

Tokoyami hits Izuku's back a couple times, and then he bites his ear. His beak is _sharp_ and hard, and Izuku yelps, dropping Tokoyami, who goes in for a punch to the solar plexus. Izuku's right hand drops, reflexively, blocking the hit with his forearm. Tokoyami bites him, _again,_ his beak closing down in Izuku's forearm.

There's a snap, and Izuku cries out as Tokoyami releases his arm, eyes wide and startled again. Izuku doesn't wait, his left leg snapping up and catching the side of Tokoyami's ribcage. He follows it up by dropping low and striking out with his right hand, hitting Tokoyami in the gut, and then a snap kick from his left leg right in the crotch has Tokoyami on the ground, and all Izuku has to do is drag him (kicking and screaming) to the boundary line, let him get up, and then shove him over it.

_"TOKOYAMI IS OUT OF BOUNDS! MIDORIYA IZUKU OF CLASS C WINS!"_

Izuku snaps the fingers of his right hand. There's a quick flash of red, at his fingers and over Tokoyami, and then the other boy is gasping with relief as he summons Dark Shadow and pets the quirk's head. Izuku gets the strong feeling that Dark Shadow is eyeing him as he approaches.

"Hey," he says. His left arm is tucked up against his side as he holds his right arm out. "That was a good fight."

Tokoyami looks up and scrutinizes Izuku for a few long moments. "…Thank you. Your quirk. It's similar to Mr. Aizawa's." Still petting Dark Shadow with one hand, he reaches up and lets Izuku take his hand with the other. Izuku is very careful to very obviously leave his pinky finger up.

"Yeah. We're related," Izuku replies, shrugging. Tokoyami's quiet for a few moments. The crowd is going nuts in the background, and then the other boy nods.

"You do look somewhat similar," he says. "I… do apologize for biting you. And breaking your arm."

"Hey, that's okay!" Izuku grins, shrugging. "No hard feelings, right? Besides, I can just go see Recovery Girl! I'm sure she's happy that this was the most major injury." One broken arm is _literally nothing_ compared to some of the injuries Izuku's seen come out of Sports Festivals in the past.

"Well, yes, but…" Tokoyami shudders. "_Biting_. I don't know what came over me."

Izuku drops his voice, as much as it'll go without sounding bad. "The dark hand of the feral gods passed over you."

"Hm. Indeed," Tokoyami says.

He's amused. Izuku knows he is.

His arm is freshly treated by Recovery Girl, and as a result, his energy is completely wiped out as he walks out to the field with Uraraka, Tokoyami, and Shinsou. There's a podium, freshly created by Cementoss, sitting in the middle of what had just been the court they were fighting in.

Midnight motions for the four of them to stop, just to the side of it. The crowd hushes without Present Mic's prompting, everyone looking down at those four teenagers.

_"ALRIGHT ALRIGHT ALRIGHT! LET'S GET THIS AWARDS CEREMONY STARTED! FIRST OFF, I'D LIKE TO CONGRATULATE EVERY COMPETITOR FOR THEIR AMAZING EFFORTS AND THE AWESOME SHOW THEY PUT ON TODAY! I'D ALSO LIKE TO CONGRATULATE THEM FOR HAVING THE FEWEST INJURIES OF ANY SPORTS FESTIVAL IN THE LAST DECADE! I WOULD CONGRATULATE YOU FOR NO BROKEN BONES, BUT __**SOMEONE**__ HAD TO BITE MIDORIYA'S ARM, __**TOKOYAMI**__."_

_"Stop tormenting them and get on with it."_

_"AH, FINE, IF YOU INSIST, ERASER! FIRST OFF, WE HAVE, IN FOURTH PLACE, SHINSOU HITOSHI OF CLASS C!"_

There's no medal for fourth place, but Midnight gestures Shinsou to his spot on the podium, which is, helpfully, labeled with a big 4.

At the announcement, the General Studies section loses their minds, all cheering for him as he steps up. He ducks his head, and Izuku can catch sight of the slight blush coloring his cheeks.

_"IN THIRD PLACE, URARAKA OCHAKO OF CLASS A!"_

This time, there is a medal. Uraraka steps to her spot on the podium and bows her head for Midnight to slip the medal over her head. She straightens up to the roar of the crowd, grinning up at the spectators and squaring her shoulders.

_"IN SECOND PLACE, TOKOYAMI FUMIKAGE OF CLASS A!"_

Tokoyami climbs onto his podium spot and Midnight slides his medal on. He bows to the audience, and then straightens.

_"AND IN FIRST PLACE, SECURING HIS SPOT IN THE HERO COURSE, MIDORIYA IZUKU OF CLASS C!"_

Ah, well. Now he's crying. He's stunned, and it takes Midnight's prompting for him to step up to his spot as she places the medal around his neck.

"I'm proud of you, kiddo," she says, and now he's crying harder. The crowd is cheering, he can see his friends up there, cheering for him, and he knows Yonaga made a point to attend, and Aizawa and Yamada are definitely watching, well, they've been commentating all day…

Izuku's really crying hard.

Uraraka pulls him aside as they're heading to the changing rooms.

"Why didn't you use your quirk against me, the way you did Tokoyami?" she asks. There's something behind her gaze, something that makes Izuku pause and put some extra thought in his reply.

"It's… not that I was so confident that I could beat you without it," he says. "I actually came really close to just… opening with it, especially after hearing about how you flung Wakana out of the ring like that! But I really, really wanted to keep the element of surprise for if I had to fight Tokoyami, since he has such a strong quirk. You were a really strong opponent, too. You caught what I was doing with the boundaries and made me come after you. I think…" he pauses and glances at her. "I think I just beat you in experience and strength. I've been learning how to fight for seven years now, and you have good instincts and reflexes, but I can kinda tell you're untrained!" He reaches up and starts twirling his hair again. "Sorry if that was too much, or I'm overstepping, or anything!"

"No, I…" Uraraka smiles. "I get it! Thanks for explaining. I know I have a long way to go, but I have a direction to go in! I'll definitely beat you next time, and I'm sure there'll be a lot of next times, since you're getting into the hero course!"

"Yeah!" Izuku punches the air, and then starts crying again. "Yeah, I am."

"Hey," Uraraka puts her hand on his shoulder. He can feel four of her fingertips. "I'm sure you'll do great!"

"No, no, I know, I know, these are, these are happy tears," he replies, swiping the back of his hand across his eyes and shaking his head. "I've been… I've wanted this for _so long_ that it's… it feels kind of unreal!"

"Well, hey, you've made it!" Uraraka's so… _upbeat_. "And I'm glad you're here! You'll probably end up in 1-A, since we have the open seat!"

"Yeah," Izuku chuckles. "Mashirao told me how the grape boy got expelled. Good riddance."

"He was a _nuisance_," Uraraka spits, and then shakes her head. "Anyways, let's go! We can talk later, when you definitely join Class A!"

Izuku grins. He can't wait.

He's delayed from changing _again_ as Aizawa pulls him aside. Uraraka waves at Izuku and winks at him, and he waves back, a blush creeping up his neck as he stands back with Aizawa.

"I'm sure you can already guess which class you're going into," Aizawa says, and Izuku nods. "Nedzu just emailed me. If all the paperwork goes through smoothly tonight, you can join class A the day after the Sports Festival. That's the likely outcome, but it's not 100%. Just get to school early that day and swing by the teachers' office."

"Yes, sir," Izuku says.

"Now, since you're joining my class, there's a few ground rules that need to go into place. You can't give me as much cheek as you're used to. I realize that's partially moot, given how you scolded me in front of half the class a couple weeks ago, but _please_ don't inspire any of your classmates into following your example."

"I can't make any promises," Izuku replies, laughing as Aizawa makes a half-hearted kick at his shin. "But I'll for sure keep in mind that U.A. is a different environment than our training, definitely!"

"Second: what are your thoughts on Shinsou?"

"Wait what?"

"Shinsou," Aizawa repeats, fixing Izuku with the deadest stare he's seen in a while. "I know you're friends with him. What do you think of him?"

"He's very dedicated," is Izuku's first reply before he pauses to think. "He started off fairly aloof, saying he wasn't here to make friends, but, well…"

"I know your tendencies."

"So I invited him to come train with the hero hopefuls group at Mrs. Ojiro and Ms. Isozaki's dojo. It's only been a… about a week and a half, but he's already improved a lot!" Izuku pauses, hand automatically rising to his hair as he thinks. "There's… some history, with him, and his quirk, and I'm sure he got bullied for it, so that's… a thing."

Aizawa's quiet, waiting for Izuku to finish.

"I think he really has what it takes," he finally says. "He _really_ wants it, and he's willing to put in the work."

Aizawa nods. "Alright. Head home. I'll see you for homeroom tomorrow."

"Yeah!" Izuku feels like he could fly away. "See you!"

He takes off running towards the changing rooms. He hasn't checked his phone since _lunch_, he's been so focused on the tournament. Hopefully there'll be no more delays between him and a shower and his _phone_.

That is, it seems, a pipe dream, as he hears heavy footsteps approaching.

"_DEKUUUUU!"_

Ah, yes, of course he'd have to deal with him sooner or later.

**mmmm we're about to get into some more serious territory now.**

**thank you for reading, and thank you to everyone who's reviewed, faved, and followed! i appreciate each and every one of you**

**i hope everyone's doing well with everything going on :)**

**i'm currently struggling to write chapter 19. it's got some uhhhh some angst and h/c and normally that's like super my jam? but i just wanna get to the fun stuff! but i gotta get through the terrible, emotional, heart-wrenching scenes first!**

**(x-posted on ao3, username: orkestrations)**


	11. we're all doomed

**warnings: bakugou and izuku's fucked up interpersonal interactions, a panic attack, smoking and cigarettes, there's a scene in a bar while drinking is mentioned and alcoholism is alluded to, mentions and discussions of incredibly powerful corrupt government institutions**

Izuku turns to face Bakugou, who is standing behind him, all but growling. There's a thrill, of deep-set reflexive fear, that Izuku grinds into metaphysical paste.

"What do you want?" he asks, channeling Aizawa's disaffectedness, Shinsou's sarcasm, Yamazaki's bite. The words come out of his mouth, sharp, cutting, cold.

It catches Bakugou up, for just a moment, his eyes widening almost imperceptibly.

"What the fuck was that?" he asks, his lips parting in a snarl. "Were you _lying_ about being quirkless all those years?"

"Yes." No harm in telling the truth.

"Why the _fuck_ would you do that?" Bakugou asks, stepping forward.

"Why would I tell you that?" Disaffected. Sarcastic. Biting. Cold. Can't let the other know how his heart is racing, how his hands are starting to shake and sweat is starting to gather.

"Maybe because you spent the last ten years _lying_ to me!"

"So?" Izuku turns to walk away. "That doesn't mean I owe _you_ anything."

Mistake.

Bakugou snarls. "Don't you turn away from me, shitnerd! I'm not finished with you yet!" The hairs on the back of Izuku's neck raise up as he starts walking. His hearing feels like it sharpens, every fiber of his body turning its attention to the boy behind him even as he leaves.

"Maybe so, but _I'm_ finished with _you_."

He gets no warning except for the sound of Bakugou's boots against the floor. There's nothing driving him except for reflexes, and a fear almost ten years old, as he whips around, darts forward, and slaps Bakugou's cheek.

Bakugou's hand passes by his head, explosions fizzling out to nothing.

While Bakugou's stunned, Izuku turns and this time _sprints_ away, through the hallways, down to the 1-C changing room. His heart is pounding, his breath comes in short gasps, and there's a hole where his stomach used to be. Oh, fuck, what did he just do? He's going to have to fucking share a class with Bakugou, oh shit, oh fuck—

He throws open the door to the changing room and darts in, slamming it shut behind him. He braces himself with both arms against the door, letting his head drop as he pants and struggles to regain control of his spiraling thoughts.

"…Midoriya?"

His head snaps up and he turns towards the voice, his right arm half-raised in a reflexive self-defense. It takes him a moment to find her, but the voice is Yamazaki's. She's standing a few feet away, wearing her regular uniform, phone in hand.

She's not a threat. She's a friend. He just needs to breathe, okay?

"Midoriya, you good?"

Yeah! Yeah, he is, just as soon as he remembers how to breathe—

Oh.

That's right.

This is a panic attack.

He shakes his head. "Just," he gasps, and then shakes his head again as he turns and puts his back against the door, sliding down it to the floor. Yamazaki, rather than approaching, imitates his movements, sitting down on the floor as well, her legs tucked beside her.

They sit there, the loudest noise in the room being the sound of Izuku's half-strangled breathing as he finally starts counting, finally brings his body back. It takes five or ten minutes, but that's a hell of an improvement from when it used to take half an hour to bring himself back.

His breathing has evened out when Yamazaki next speaks.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asks. He glances over, looking at her through his bangs. She's still sitting there, legs tucked to the side, phone in her lap, and her eyes, normally half-lidded with disdain or apathy or _something_, are wide open as she looks at him. She tilts her head, a quiet push of her question.

"…I just. Saw someone. We didn't get along well in the past and, well, now it's looking like I'm going to be classmates with him again."

"Damn," Yamazaki shakes her head. "That sucks. What did he do to you to provoke that kind of reaction? You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

Izuku shrugs and starts drawing invisible designs on the floor with his index finger. The tile is cool, and he lays down and presses his face against it.

"A lot happened," he replies.

"Yeah. Seems like it. Just give me the word, anytime, and I'll come put the fear of me in him."

Izuku chuckles. It comes out a little strained. "Thanks."

There's a couple moments of quiet, and then he sits up, rubbing his eyes again.

"Hey," Yamazaki says, scooting closer. "Do you have your phone? So I can put my number in?"

"Oh, uh, yeah, it's still in the locker," he replies, jumping to his feet and running over to said locker. With a couple spins, he unlocks it and opens it, unlocking his phone and tossing it to Yamazaki, who barely manages to catch it.

"Hey! Do you want me to drop it and break it?"

Izuku laughs, shaking his head. "You can _try_. That's one of the sturdiest cases money can buy on there. I'm… a bit of a clumsy disaster, sometimes."

She shrugs and nods. "Okay." With a few quick motions, and then some tapping, she puts her number in his phone and walks back over, handing his phone and her own unlocked phone back to him. "Your turn, now."

He puts his contact information in before passing it back to her.

"I need to go now," she says. "My family's waiting for me. But you better not be a stranger now that you're in the Hero Course, alright? I'll come kick your ass, don't think I won't."

"Alright!" he replies, smiling. "I promise I'll keep in touch! There'll be no need to come kick my ass."

"Good." Yamazaki nods. "I'll see you around then." With that, she turns on her heel and walks out.

"See you!"

The door clicks shut behind her, and Izuku exhales, the sound soft in the now-lonely changing room. He pulls his things out of the locker, double checking to make sure he has everything, before heading back to the showers.

He emerges, half and hour later, the room steamed up, with his hair wet (and semi-flat, the only time it wasn't bush-like) and wearing his regular uniform again. He'll have to get a new blazer, actually, now that he's in the hero course.

Oh well. That's a problem for Future Izuku. Present Izuku just checks his phone.

There's a ton of messages and a few missed calls. One call is from Yonaga, quite a few from his mom, and one…

From _Hisashi_.

There's a message from him, too: _You can call me back whenever you have time to! I'm sure you're busy celebrating with your friends!_

He calls him back right there, holding his phone up to his ear as he shoulders his bag and leaves the changing room.

The stadium is mostly empty by this point, just leftover pros and school staff cleaning up. He waves back when waved at as he goes.

Hisashi picks up on the fifth ring.

_"Izuku! That was _amazing_! My teammates won't shut up about it!"_

There's another voice in the background that sounds something like "_you're_ the one who won't shut up about it", but Izuku ignores it.

"Thanks," he says, smiling, small and sweet, to himself. "So you were watching?"

"_Every moment! Ah, Present Mic was hyping your quirk up so much. I think you lived up to it, though! The way you used Uraraka's quirk against herself, and that final fight with Tokoyami? It had to have hurt, but I will admit, we all laughed a little when he bit you!"_

"Yeah," Izuku laughs a little, himself, "it did hurt, but it's funny looking back on it! And Recovery Girl fixed it right up, so it barely even hurts anymore! I can't wait to get home and sleep for sixteen hours, though."

_"Make sure you eat dinner with your mom! I'm sure she can't wait to congratulate you herself!"_

"Mhm," Izuku nods. "I still… kinda can't believe it, honestly! I've made it into the Hero Course!"

_"I know I sure can believe it! You've got this superstar potential in you, and if Japan's heroes somehow don't want you, I know the Unit would take you in a _heartbeat_."_

Izuku laughs, small and breathy. "Thanks, Hisashi. I'll keep that in mind. So. Anything happen lately you can tell me about? I have a whole train ride home to fill."

_"Well, let's see here, there was that job in Vancouver last month… I think I'm clear to tell you about that one!"_

Hisashi can talk forever, if you let him, so he fills the space as Izuku returns home. They do say their good-byes just before Izuku reaches the apartment, so he's off the phone when he walks in.

"I'm home!" he calls, and his mother appears, looking just about as wrung out as he feels.

"Oh, Izuku," she says, and there's so much to her voice that he can't quite pin down. There's the pride, yes, the joy, but there's also worry, hurt, _pain_?

"Mom?" he asks, kicking his shoes off and setting his backpack down. "What happened?"

She takes a deep breath.

"Nemuri texted me," she says. "Tensei is in the hospital. He was attacked by the Hero Killer Stain while the tournament was happening. They're… confident he'll make it, but there was damage to his spine."

"Oh," Izuku whispers, coming to a stop for a moment. "Oh no. Oh… his _brother_."

Inko nods, and they step towards each other. Izuku is… quite a bit taller, now, but he still tucks his face into the junction where her shoulder meets her neck.

God, today has been A Day.

**Shouta** walks out of the hospital. Hizashi and Nemuri are still in there, still waiting for information, for Tensei to _wake up_, but he can't join them right now. The world doesn't stop turning just because one of his closest friends is injured, and the world is turning in a way that might just cause even more pain to him if he doesn't _stay on top of it_.

Yonaga Noeru is waiting for him in the parking lot, leaning against a car and smoking a cigarette. They're not the only one there: an average-sized woman stands next to them while a very small person sits perched on the hood, one leg drawn up to their chest and the other dangling off the front of the car. All three of them have black hair of varying lengths, and the person sitting on the car has dark teal skin.

"You brought Kaga and Asakura," he says. Yonaga inclines their head, just a bit.

"Mhm," they say. "Sedzukiya insisted on coming, and I'm sure Asakura could have important input. Our boy caught a lot of attention, today."

Shouta sighs. "Yes, he did. I was expecting him to catch _some_, but It's safe to say no one saw the outcome of the cavalry battle coming."

"I knew the kid had to have _some_ potential, from how you talk about him, but what he did today?" Asakura shakes her head. "That was something else."

"Let's wait to discuss it anymore until we're somewhere out of the way," Shouta replies, but inwardly, he agrees. Midoriya's charismatic, he _knows_ this. It's obvious everywhere he looks: the way Ojiro and Isozaki train him, the way he's gained the undying loyalty of all his friends in the hero hopefuls group, the way he managed to draw Yonaga and Shouta themselves to him.

But to see the way he reached out to his opponents? The closeness he and the tired General Studies student –Shinsou—had, after only a month?

Aizawa shakes his head, dispelling those thoughts as Yonaga speaks.

"Let me finish this," they say, gesturing with their cigarette.

Kaga sneers from their spot on the car. "Honestly, I'd rather not."

"You don't get a say in it," Yonaga replies, taking a long drag. Kaga's sneer morphs into something more bitter.

"Yes, I know," they mutter.

It only takes Yonaga a little bit to finish their cigarette, the other three standing (or sitting, in Kaga's case) in silence as they do. Partway through, Kaga begins stress-braiding their hair, fingers flashing through the long, dark strands as they braided and unbraided the same lock, over and over.

"Finished," Yonaga says, snuffing the butt out and throwing it in the trash. "Let's go. Cy's expecting us."

"You're the one who delayed," Kaga snaps, sliding off the hood and walking to the driver's door. Yonaga takes shotgun while Asakura and Shouta slide into the back seats together.

Kaga is a careful driver, and sooner than Shouta's really expecting, they're parking and getting out. Their group garners a few glances from people, and, well, they probably make an interesting sight: Yonaga with their cane, Shouta with the fading bruises and fresh surgery scar on his face (he had _just_ gotten the bandages and casts removed by Recovery Girl when he got the call about Tensei), Kaga with their messy, partially-braided hair, and Asakura, arguably the most normal-looking (for a given value of that word) out of all of them.

Their destination: a seedy bar. It's not actually as seedy on the inside as it looks on the outside, but the shady appearance is a strong deterrent to keep unwanted visitors out. The sign above the door reads "_The Mole_" in neon kanji, and Shouta finds himself once again shaking his head at that stupid pun.

Asakura holds the door open for the rest of the group, the other three thanking her quietly or acknowledging her with a nod. They're chronically tired PTSD-ridden underground heroes, not _savages_.

Once inside, Yonaga leads the other three to a table tucked in a back corner, where a chubby man with dark brown skin is already sitting, munching on a basket of fries. He looks up from his laptop as the four pull out chairs and sit down.

"Evening, Cy," Yonaga says. "How's the wife?"

Cy sighs. "Doing as well as she can be. Kotoji is… getting to that difficult age, and he's having some trouble in school, as well, with kids picking on him. But enough of that. I know you're all here for more than to just hear me talk about my wife and son." With that said, he closes his eyes for a moment, and when he opens them, they're no longer brown but a bright, acid green. "Talk freely."

"So, we can all agree that Noeru and Aizawa's trainee is going to have the HPSC _all over him_ after his showing at the Sports Festival, huh?" Kaga says, crossing their arms and leaning back in their chair. "There's no way they'll be able to leave him alone, even if he has U.A.'s protection."

"We can expect some sort of Commission puppet to send him a draft pick. I'm sure they'll send multiple," Shouta says. "They'll have one or two obvious ones, to draw our attention, and slide in some subtle ones."

Asakura frowns. "Do you know if he's planning on going underground? Kaga and I could send him draft picks."

"You can," Shouta replies.

"But he doesn't know if he wants to go underground or do something else yet, so there's no guarantee he'll pick someone underground. We'll try and nudge him in your direction, though," Yonaga finishes.

"Why _wouldn't_ he go underground?" Kaga asks. They snort and shake their head. "He'd be an imbecile _not_ to."

"I'll thank you not to insult my student," Shouta snaps. He pauses, pinches the bridge of his nose, and then takes a deep breath. "He is the _farthest_ thing from an imbecile. While he would be… a _force_, should he choose to go underground, he has what it takes to succeed wherever he chooses to go."

Yonaga sighs, their expression turning wistful. "I _wish_ he'd choose to go underground. The changes he could make…"

Kaga _hmphs_, obviously not convinced. "Okay. Whatever. Well. If he doesn't choose Asakura or I, or any underground heroes, what do we do to keep him out of the HPSC's clutches? Any daylight hero he chooses is likely to see them as _benevolent_."

"There's a large chance that anyone low-profile, as a daylight hero, isn't going to have the Commission's attention on them," Asakura says. She glances over her shoulder at the bar. "You keep talking, I'm going to get something to drink."

"Get some food with that, too," Cy says—no, wait, that's an order. "And don't even try to talk Yasue into giving you anything alcoholic."

Asakura's expression tightens. "Yes, sir," she says as she stands up.

"I doubt he's actually going to get any draft picks from low-profile daylight heroes," Kaga grumbles. "Not many would be willing to take the risk on a kid whose quirk is so obviously suited to underground work."

"So he'll probably have an array of high-profile heroes and undergrounds, and any of them could be Commission puppets," Shouta grumbles, letting his head droop and his eyes drift closed. "Wonderful."

"Luckily," Yonaga says, gesturing at Kaga, who's still slumped in their chair, and Asakura, who's at the bar picking up a basket of fries and a glass of sparkling lemonade, "we know exactly who _isn't_ an HPSC plant. Asakura and Sedzukiya could also speak with some of their common teammates, see if any of them would send picks to him."

"We sure could," Kaga drawls as Asakura walks back over and sits down.

"What did I miss?" she asks.

"You and Kaga can ask teammates to send draft picks to Izuku," Shouta responds, and she nods.

"I'll make it happen," she says.

There's a few moments where the five of them are quiet, only the sounds of Asakura eating her fries and the other people in the bar reaching them until Yonaga decides to speak.

"Hopefully this is the last time he does anything this high-profile."

"That's a useless hope and you should cull it now." Shouta's response is immediate. "He's going to be moving into Class 1-A. There's something _different_ about this year's 1-A, and I doubt the USJ incident will be the only time they're involved in a high-profile event. We can prepare ourselves to respond, but it's useless to hope."

Yonaga sighs. "Fair enough, I suppose. Still. That's a rather… bleak way of looking at things."

"It's realistic," Shouta replies. He reaches up to card his left hand through his hair (not his right arm, the one that will _never be the same again_).

Kaga lets out a quiet "ha". "Yeah, I agree with you on that one. Better to spend all your energy on preparing for the worst rather than wasting any of it on a pipe dream."

Yonaga shakes their head. "You're both depressing." Asakura nods, too busy chomping on fries to say anything. "If nothing else, Izuku would be a breath of fresh air in an underground full of Sedzukiyas and Aizawas."

"Hey," Kaga snaps, pointing their finger at Yonaga. "This attitude keeps us _alive._"

"I know," Yonaga replies. And yes, Shouta does know that they know, very intimately, that the cynicism and pessimism is what keeps the whole underground running.

_And maybe that's not the greatest thing_, a traitorous little thought that sounds too much like Hizashi whispers. Shouta shakes his head and turns to Cy, whose eyes are still that acid green.

"I think we're done discussing Midoriya," he says. "How _is_ Kotoji?"

Cy groans and shoves his laptop to the side to bury his face in his arms.

**Izuku** arrives at U.A. quite a bit early the morning after the Sports Festival is finished. He's wearing a beanie, and good thing he did, because there's Shiozaki, a small crowd of people around her. She seems… comfortable enough, he supposes, as he enters the gates and heads to the main building. He makes his way to the teachers' office, where he knocks on the door.

There's a scuffle, some muffled shouting, and then Cementoss opens the door.

"Ah, yes," he says. "Good morning, Midoriya." He turns, allowing Izuku a small glimpse into the office. There're papers _everywhere_, and he briefly wonders just what happened in there. "Aizawa," Cementoss continues, "your new student."

"He's not new," Aizawa grumbles. "He's been a nuisance to me for years now."

"I appreciate you too, Mr. Aizawa!" Izuku chirps, and he hears what sounds like a strangled laugh from somewhere in the room, while Yamada _definitely_ cackles.

"_What_," Aizawa says, "was the _one_ rule I gave you the other night."

"You only gave me that rule so I wouldn't inspire my classmates into cheekiness," Izuku replies. He looks around for a moment and then shrugs. "I don't see any of my classmates anywhere around here!"

More laughter, more grumbling, and a low, rough, "_he has a point, you know_".

"All of you are insufferable and I hate you," Aizawa says, coming to take Cementoss's place in front of Izuku. The bandages and casts are off, and there's a fresh new scar underneath his right eye. "All the paperwork went through without challenge. There's some spare Hero Course blazers around here somewhere that will probably fit you, so let's go get that taken care of." Izuku steps to the side as Aizawa leaves the office, and he turns briefly to wave over his shoulder at Yamada and Kayama before following his mentor/new homeroom teacher down the hallway.

The blazer exchange goes smoothly, and Izuku's sent off to 1-A's classroom with a gruff "you're Seat 19". Izuku nods and heads there, walking in the door to the classroom without looking back.

"Wow!" someone says. "That was a quick transfer!" It's a boy with spiky red hair, sitting halfway back in the middle rows. He has a grin full of sharp teeth, and Izuku finds it easy to smile back at him.

"Yeah!" Izuku replies. "U.A.'s really quick at processing paperwork, I guess. I'm Midoriya Izuku!"

"Kirishima Eijirou!" the spiky red boy replies. "It's great to have you!"

"It's great to be here!"

"Oh no." That's Jirou's voice, and Izuku turns to see her walking in, her shoulders slumping. "The sunshine boys have met. We're all doomed."

"Sunshine boys?" Izuku asks, tilting his head as he walks back with Jirou towards their seats. Her seat is diagonally one up from his.

"Yeah," she says, and does not elaborate.

Shiozaki appears soon after, walking to the back, where Izuku's sitting, to introduce herself.

"I am disappointed that we did not get to face each other in the festival," she says. "But I am certain there will be many chances to rectify that in the future. It is good to have you with us."

"I'm sure he'll be a much better classmate than Mineta!" A girl with pink skin, introduced as Ashido Mina, pipes up from her desk.

"You mean grape boy?" Izuku corrects.

"I do mean grape boy!" Ashido agrees, her eyes lighting up and her voice reaching dog-whistle octaves.

The next student in is Todoroki, and—

Oh wow.

His eyes carry just as much anger as his father's.

Todoroki, unlike his father, does not acknowledge Izuku at all, and his classmates don't seem inclined to push him.

And something in Izuku, the same thing that pushed him to Shinsou, points at Todoroki and goes "I want _that_ one".

So, Izuku stands up and walks up to Todoroki's desk at the front of the row.

"Hey, I don't think we've gotten a chance to meet yet," he says, perching himself on the desk next to Todoroki's, which just so happens to be Shiozaki's. She frowns at him for a moment before shrugging and going back to the book she was reading. It's not like he's _really_ taking up much space on her desk.

"We haven't," Todoroki says. His voice is flat.

"I'm Midoriya Izuku."

"I know that."

"Well, yes, Present Mic _was_ screaming my name fairly often yesterday," Izuku replies. "I just figured it was polite to introduce myself, rather than just _assume_ everyone was paying attention yesterday."

"That's good, because I can guarantee you that Bakugou won't remember your name one bit!" That's Kaminari, sitting just in front of Kirishima.

"Oh," Izuku turns, the corners of his mouth twitching up, summoning Isozaki and Shinsou in his mind. "I promise, Kacchan already knows my name."

"_What_?" Kaminari shrieks.

Todoroki's looking at him now, something in his eyes other than his father's hatred.

"Todoroki Shouto," he says, and Izuku beams.

"It's nice to meet you, Todoroki!" he says, bouncing to his feet and heading back to his desk.

The rest of the class comes in the last couple minutes before class starts. Tokoyami sits diagonally back from Izuku, and he apologizes, again, for biting him, while Izuku reiterates, again, that there's no hard feelings and everything's okay. Mashirao's tail starts wagging when he sees Izuku in the back of the room, and Uraraka smiles and waves at him. Yaoyorozu is in the seat behind him, and she talks pleasantly with him for a few moments. Tsuyu, who sits behind Ashido, also waves at him as she sits down.

"Wow," Jirou says, blinking and looking around the room. "Did you make friends with _everyone_ you fought?"

"Yeah?" Izuku replies, shrugging. "That's… People say that's how I bond?"

"By beating them up?" the boy in the desk next to Izuku, Sero, asks.

Izuku nods. "Yeah, I finally made friends with Shinsou after kicking his ass in a sparring session. Now, when I made friends with Mashirao, it was mostly him repeatedly kicking my ass."

Jirou shrugs. "If it works, it works, I guess."

The last two students to arrive are Iida and Bakugou. Iida looks frazzled, and is yelling something at Bakugou, who's ignoring him.

Bakugou, who looks like he wants to commit murder when he spots Izuku sitting in the seat behind his. This is the part where Bakugou storms over, sparks snapping on the palms of his hands, where he stands over Izuku Deku and throws him back to the hard ground with the heat and rage in his hands.

But that's not what happens.

Instead, Bakugou stalks over and slouches into his seat, sneering at Deku Izuku for a moment before turning and ignoring him, like he's not even there anymore.

There's a moment of silence, tension singing in the air.

"Oh my _god_ you're that Gen Studies student who came in and chewed out Mr. Aizawa about coming to work right after the USJ!" Ashido slams her hands down on her desk as she stands and shouts that, startling Aoyama, who squeaks and covers his head.

"Yeah," Izuku says, ducking his head.

"Wait, so you know Mr. Aizawa outside of U.A.?" That's Sero, again.

"Yeah," Izuku agrees, not elaborating.

He's saved from any further interrogation as Aizawa walks in, shoulders slouched and face half-tucked in his capture weapon.

"Ashido, sit down," he says, and Ashido seems to snap to place in her seat as Aizawa drags his feet to the front of the room.

"Mr. Aizawa. Your bandages are gone," Tsuyu says. "I'm glad." Izuku can't help but echo her sentiments in his head—it's good to actually be able to see his mentor-slash-pseudo-uncle's face again.

"The old lady went overboard on her treatment." As he speaks, he reaches up to scratch under his left eye with his pinky, and Izuku can see bandages still wrapped around his wrist. "More importantly, we're having a special Hero Informatics Class today."

The tension that creates is almost immediate, and Izuku glances around. Do they think it's going to be some sort of test? It's just the first class back after the Sports Festival. Yamada and Kayama _both_ told him what to expect.

"Wait, Mr. Aizawa. Aren't you going to introduce our new classmate?" Ashido asks.

"I'm sure you already know him," Aizawa replies. "The class's subject today? Codenames. You'll be choosing your hero names today."

Half the class bursts out in enthusiasm. "We're going to do something exciting!" Ashido's is the most prominent voice, but several other classmates yell things too.

All it takes is for a half-second Aizawa's quirk activated for everyone to sit down and shut up like they'd never burst out in the first place.

"This is related to pro hero draft picks," he says as his hair floats back down to rest. "The drafts begin in earnest in second and third years, after students have gained experience and can become immediate assets to the pros. In other words, for them to extend offers to first years like you, shows that they are interested in your future potential. These offers are often canceled if that interest dies down by graduation."

"So we'll have to prove ourselves once we get picked, huh?" Hagakure, the invisible girl in the desk behind Todoroki, asks.

"That's right," Aizawa replies, dipping his head in affirmation. "And here are the totals for those with offers." He pulls a remote out of his pocket and aims it behind him. A press of a button, and statistics start coming up, displayed on the blackboard behind him.

Tokoyami is the student in the class with the most offers, followed closely by Uraraka and then Izuku himself. These numbers are by a slim margin, though, and there's no one student who really stands out as having received way more offers than the rest.

"Keeping these results in mind, whether or not anyone asked for you, you will all be participating in internships with pros."

"Internships?" Jirou is the one to murmur this, sitting up a little straighter in her seat.

"Yes." Aizawa's sharp hearing, of course, picks up on this. "At the USJ, most of you experienced combat with real villains, but it will still be meaningful training for you to experience work with pros firsthand."

Ah, yes, technically, Izuku was behind his classmates here, not that he really wishes he had been involved in the USJ Incident. It's just… something between him and the rest of the class.

"So that explains the hero names!" It's a boy in the back of the room, Satou, Izuku recognizes. He sits next to Uraraka, who smiles.

"Things are suddenly getting a lot more fun!" she says.

"Well, those hero names are still temporary," Aizawa cuts the excitement off. "But if you're not serious about it…"

The door slides open.

"You'll have hell to pay later!"

There's Kayama, striding into the room like she owns it. A few of the boys perk up, and Izuku resists the urge to sigh and roll his eyes at that particular subset of student. Do they know she's a lesbian?

"Because a lot of hero names used by students are recognized by society," she says, "they end up becoming used as professional names!"

"_Midnight_," several boys seem to sigh, and this time, Izuku _does_ roll his eyes.

"Well, that's how it is," Aizawa mutters, and Izuku can see his narrow-eyed gaze flicking towards the students who were more busy staring at Kayama than they were listening to her, "so Midnight will be making sure your hero names are okay. I can't do stuff like that." He bends over and pulls his sleeping bag out of the podium.

"When you give yourself a name," he says, still holding his sleeping bag, "you get a more concrete image of what you want to be like in the future, and you can get closer to it. This is what it means when they say _names and natures do often agree_. Take All Might, for example."

With that, he seals himself into his sleeping bag as whiteboards and markers are passed down the rows.

What he wants to be in the future, huh? Well, that's an issue, since he… hasn't quite decided, beyond the general 'be a hero and save everyone he possibly can'.

Well, Aizawa said these can be temporary, right? Just be prepared to accept them as permanent, in case they get recognized by society. And, honestly, Izuku _has_ put a lot of thought into various ideas over the years. He could always go with the old standard of calling himself _Negate _or _Negation_ after his quirk. Then there's the various different options he's thought about…

Maybe he'll stick with something on the safe side, though.

"Okay, let's present names, starting with those who are ready," Kayama says after fifteen minutes have passed. Several students look downright horrified at the thought, but Aoyama stands up and walks to the front of the class, his mouth curled into a little knowing smile.

"Here I go," he says, eyes closed, basking in their attention. A moment, and his eyes open. "I Can Not Stop Twinkling!" He raises the board high above his head. The words are written in English, with loopy, delicate handwriting. "Which means, you can't stop my sparkles!" And true enough, he sure is sparkling.

"It's a _sentence_?" Sero exclaims as Kayama walks over and pulls the whiteboard from Aoyama's hands.

"It'll be easier to use if you shorten it," she says, writing something. "Take out the I and contract the Can Not." She turns around the board, showing off the name "Can't Stop Twinkling".

"You're right, mademoiselle," Aoyama says.

"It's okay?" several students whisper to themselves. Izuku glances up and, no, Kayama looks dead serious.

"May we provide constructive criticism?" Shiozaki raises her hand and asks.

"Sure," Kayama says, shrugging. "As long as it's kind!"

"Why not try something similar, but still shorter, like Nova or Celestial?" Shiozaki asks.

"Nova has more punch to it," Mashirao agrees, "and Celestial is easier than _Can't Stop Twinkling_."

"Hm." Aoyama blinks. "Perhaps I shall. I think I like the feel of Nova! It has quite the similarity to _nouveau_, and I am, indeed, something new this world has never seen before!"

Kayama clicks her tongue. "O-kay. Nova it is, then."

"I'll go next!" Ashido volunteers, bounding to the front of the room as Aoyama returns to his seat. She reveals her whiteboard immediately. "Hero name: Alien Queen!"

"Are you trying for the thing with the acidic blood?" Kayama asks. "I wouldn't if I were you!"

Ashido sighs and returns to her seat. "Okay…"

"I dunno, I kinda liked Alien Queen!" Kaminari says. "It's intimidating!"

"There's a fine line between intimidating the villains and scaring the public," Kayama replies. "Please keep that in mind!"

Tsuyu raises her hand. "May I go next?"

"Go ahead, Tsuyu!" Kayama says.

"I've had this in mind ever since I was in elementary school," Tsuyu says, once she reaches the front of the room. She flips her board around: "Froppy."

"Oh, that's so cute!" Kayama gushes. "It seems friendly. I like it! It's a great example of a name everyone will love!"

No one can seem to disagree.

"Then I'll go next!" Kirishima exclaims, all but running to the front of the room and smacking his board down. Tsuyu eyes him as she passes behind him to return to her seat. "Red Riot!"

"Red Riot?" Kayama asks. "You're paying homage to Crimson Riot, eh?"

"Yes. It's pretty old-fashioned, but the hero image I'm going for is Crimson himself." Kirishima's hand comes up to rub the back of his head as he speaks.

"If you're bearing a name you admire, it'll come with that much more pressure," Kayama warns him.

"I'm prepared for that!" Kirishima replies, one hand coming up in front of him in a fist. He grins.

Wow. Izuku needs to stop meeting so many cool, amazing students because he is _not_ prepared for the amount of admiration he needs to be dishing out to them, because they are all so neat and cool and awesome.

To be honest, he had thought of taking a legacy name before. His mentors were Eraserhead and Longnight, both respected heroes in the underground community. Most of his ideas actually were riffs off of Longnight's name, going until he spun through and came up with something completely different and yet still similar.

One row over, Kaminari is despairing. "I still haven't thought of a name…"

"I've got one," Jirou says. "Jamming-way!"

"Oh, that sounds smart! Like Hemingway, that English guy!"

Jirou is laughing into her hand now. "No," she says. "Because you always get like _that_!"

Izuku lacks the context to know what _that_ is, but Jirou gives Kaminari's shoulder one last shove before running to the front of the room. He calls for her to stop messing with him as she arrives at the podium.

"Beatdown!" she declares, setting the whiteboard on the podium, and Kayama declares it acceptable.

"Tentakole," Shouji presents next.

One by one, the students present theirs. Cellophane. Monkey King (the hero hopefuls, it seems, had succeeded in pushing Mashirao away from choosing _Tailman_, of all things, as his name). Sugar Rush. Pinky. Chargebolt. Prism. Infiniti (that one is, surprisingly, _not_ Uraraka, instead belonging to Yaoyorozu). Shouto (yes, Todoroki walked up to the podium, said, 'I'm using my first name', and that was that). Tsukuyomi. Anima. De la Rosa.

And then Bakugou steps up there and declares "Bakusatsuo" and, okay, it's creative, Izuku will give him that, but King Explosion Murder is not the kind of name you really want to be using as a hero.

Uraraka is the one who walks up after him, presenting Uravity to the class with a smile.

"Choosing hero names is going more smoothly than I thought it would!" Kayama glances at the clock. "We only have three left: Bakugou, who needs to rethink his, Iida, and Midoriya!"

Iida is the first of the three to step up, presenting his first name, the same as Todoroki. Bakugou is writing furiously on his whiteboard, while Izuku stares at the word he's written on his.

"Midoriya, are you ready?" Kayama asks, and Izuku snaps his head up.

"Yeah," he says, standing up and walking to the front of the room. He's ready.

He stands at the podium and flips his whiteboard around, letting everyone read the _Eclipse_ written in somewhat shaky katakana across the whiteboard.

(Somewhat shaky, since his dominant arm got broken a few days ago and _still_ aches.)

"Oh, we are going for a space theme today, aren't we?" Aoyama asks, turning and smiling at Uraraka, who blinks and then grins, flashing Izuku a thumbs up.

Eclipse is a name drawn from a combination of factors. It's related to his quirk, in that he can _eclipse_ others' powers. It's related to Longnight's name, if you think of it in terms of lunar eclipses occurring at night, of solar eclipses creating night of day.

(It's also related to a name his mother once used, a long time ago, a confession she had whispered to him on the nights when a young Izuku had asked, _why did you fall in love with my father?_)

(And by _father_, he did not mean Midoriya Hisashi.)

***holds up and shakes Kaga Sedzukiya* this is a GREMLIN and i LOVE them. i hope you like my OCs, because i am really fond of them and they WILL be showing up again.**

**fun fact: Kaga and Yonaga know each other because they're both non-binary underground heroes with night-themed names (Night Star and Longnight respectively) so they saw each other and went "we're friends now". they've gotten closer since Yonaga's retirement, taking on a bit of a big sibling/little sibling relationship**

**Midnight is never not a lesbian when i write her. i have a sketch of her redesigned costume, too, that i have shared on my twitter ( orkestrations) and might post again at some point.**

**i'm sticking with Pinky for Mina for the moment because reasons (i actually, do kinda like it? it's cute, and definitely more in line with Mina's overall aesthetic than Alien Queen is). i used De la Rosa as Shiozaki's hero name in a roleplay once and got asked if i was a Homestuck for it. no, i'm not, i've never read it and know barely anything about it. and i am forever pissed that Bakugou's actually very intelligent names were not portrayed that way in the dub? they're actually pretty damn smart!**

**anyways i was like "what in the hell is gonna be Izuku's alias here" and then Eclipse came to me and i was like "wow. perfect. amazing". there's also some symbolism in the concept of syzygy in this story...**

**some notes on Bakugou: i have a very complex relationship with him as a character. i'm going to try and do him justice, but ultimately, i am an Izuku stan first and a Bakugou stan, well, inot/i so that will undoubtedly come across in how i write him. i hope what i have planned is a good and satisfying take on Bakugou's arc. i doubt there will be any sort of close friendship develop between the two over the course of the story, and i refuse to handwave or ignore bakugou's treatment of izuku both in canon and this fic. regardless, i hope that anyone who likes Bakugou isn't turned away by this. again, i hope to do him and his development justice without turning him into a one-dimensional caricature or a target of bashing.**

**thank you to everyone who's read, reviewed, faved and followed. i love and appreciate all of you!**

**(x-posted on ao3, username: orkestrations)**

**(see you in like twenty minutes for the second chapter of tonight's update)**


	12. don't die

**warnings: none-ish**

"Now that everyone's decided on their hero names," Aizawa says, "we'll go back to talking about internships. They will last one week. As for where you'll have them, those who received offers from pros will receive their own lists so you can choose from those yourself. Those who didn't have offers will choose from among forty agencies from around the country that will be accepting our interns. They all work in different places and have different specialties."

"For example," Kayama speaks, taking the metaphorical baton in a seamless handoff, "Thirteen would focus on rescues from accidents and disasters more than fighting villains."

"Think carefully before you choose."

With that, he passes out sheets of paper to the students, who begin talking quietly to each other about what they hope for.

"Turn in your choices before the weekend."

"We've only got two days!?"

"Make your decision efficiently. Dismissed."

Izuku walks with Mashirao, Shouji, Jirou, and Tokoyami to lunch. Their little multi-class group seems to be sticking together, so far, although it's not so little anymore, not with Kita, Mori, and Yamazaki sitting with them now, too.

"So, big shot hero guy," Shinsou says, lifting a hand towards Izuku from where he's already sitting. "How was your first morning of the hero course?"

"Oh, it was good!" Izuku replies, smiling as he slides into the spot next to Shinsou. "We had a special Informatics class, about internships and choosing out hero names."

Shinsou raises one eyebrow. "So? What did you pick out, then?"

"Yeah!" Aomi demands. "Inquiring minds want to know."

"Well, for now, I'm going with Eclipse," Izuku replies, blushing as some of the 1-B and 1-C students burst into a flurry of excitement.

"For _now_?" Tokage asks. "That's a totally sick hero name! You have the badass name to back up your beat downs!"

"Funny thing," Jirou drawls, "_I'm_ the one who named myself Beatdown."

"Oh, shit? That's cool!" Tokage turns her attention to Jirou. "We had the same class! I'm going with Lizardy, after my quirk!"

"Eclipse, huh?" Shinsou asks, his voice soft as he looks at Izuku. Izuku's blush returns.

"Yeah," he replies, twisting his hair in his fingers. "It's… kind of based on my quirk, like, I can _eclipse_ other people's powers, right? And it's also kind of reminiscent of Longnight, in a roundabout way."

"I can see it," Shinsou says, nodding. "Did you know _your mentor_ approached me this morning?"

"Oh, uh, I had some suspicions!" Izuku replies, shrugging. "He asked me about you after the Sports Festival. He wanted to know what I thought of you."

"Well, while you hero classes are doing internships, it looks like I'll be doing some _intense_ training with him." Shinsou takes a bite of his food, looking thoughtful as he chewed.

"I'm sure you'll get a lot out of it," Izuku says, and Shinsou nods.

"Of course I will. With _him_ for a mentor, how can I not?"

Izuku's list of offers is made up of, for the most part, underground heroes. He sits down with Yonaga and Aizawa, and they go through every hero on the list, describing them and talking about them. There's quite a few Yonaga worked with, even more Aizawa's worked with, and a few that neither have met.

They immediately cross those names out.

There's also a few daylight and limelight heroes on the list. Edgeshot is one of the most notable names of that kind, and Izuku almost slaps down his _yes_ the moment he reads his name, but he stops and thinks. Is Edgeshot an amazing hero? Yes. Is he someone Izuku could learn a lot from? Also yes.

Is he going to be Izuku's first choice?

No, probably not.

Izuku… used to want to be a notable hero. He used to want to be Number 1, the next Symbol of Peace, stepping up to be the next generation's All Might.

Those dreams? Are somewhat impossible, with his quirk. He can do great things, yes, but there's no way he can be the Symbol of Peace. Ever.

(There's a quiet, steady, sure voice, similar in many ways to Aizawa, that tells him _no one_, not even All Might, can truly be the only Symbol of Peace.)

So, he shuffles Edgeshot's name onto the _maybe_ list.

The next notable name on the list… is Sir Nighteye's.

Yes, Izuku's just got done thinking about his long-gone All Might obsession (well, maybe not _truly_ long-gone, but it's definitely been banked to well-manageable embers, _thanks_), and here he is staring at the name of his former sidekick.

Except, the thing is, it makes sense. Sir Nighteye, while not the exact kind of hero Izuku wants to be (Izuku doesn't know exactly what kind of hero he wants to be, yet), is a solid middle ground between the underground and limelight options. A well-respected daylight hero, but not one at the top of the charts. With his quirk, he's not drawn to flashy battles or huge disaster zones. He tends to work in the background, on the smaller cases that may not gain as much attention but mean just as much, if not more.

"What do you think of Nighteye?" Izuku asks, showing Yonaga and Aizawa the name on his list.

"I thought you were over your All Might phase," Yonaga remarks. Izuku rolls his eyes.

"He's still too hung up over All Might for my tastes," Aizawa adds. "I've worked with him a few times, and other than that, he's a good hero, a responsible mentor, and most of all, he's _steady_."

_Steady_. How many heroes in the current top ten could Izuku apply that descriptor to, in the way Aizawa meant it? Ryukyu, Best Jeanist, Edgeshot. _Maybe_ Hawks.

He can't apply it to All Might. After the encounter at the Sports Festival, he _definitely_ can't apply it to Endeavor. Miruko is another one who's out, given her violent record and ideas.

So… To have Aizawa call Nighteye _steady_.

Izuku barely hesitates to write that name at the top of his list.

(He does put Edgeshot's agency as his second option. Just in case.)

**_heroes or bust!_**

**_Roka Aomi_**

_are any other schools doing internships now?_

**_Koizumi Hiraku_**

_Ours are in a couple weeks, actually. You guys are doing yours now?_

**_Roka Aomi_**

_they start next week! we're supposed to be selecting where to go now… certain students who did really good at the sports festival __cough Izuku cough cough__ got OFFERS from hero agencies seeking them out, while the rest of us just get to choose from the same list of 40._

**_Koizumi Hiraku_**

_Hey, that's still good, though! Izuku, you got offers? Have you picked yet?_

**_me_**

_Yeah! I've got Sir Nighteye's agency down as my first choice, and Edgeshot's as my second_

**_Roka Aomi_**

_EDGESHOT?!_

**_Koizumi Hiraku_**

_Nighteye, huh? Still not over your All Might days then? :P_

**_me_**

_noooooo why does everyone keep saying that_

_I didn't pick him because of All Might!_

_…I picked him because Aizawa, kind of_

**_Koizumi Hiraku_**

_Huh_

_Okay_

**_Roka Aomi_**

_you got an offer from EDGESHOT! WHY wasn't he your first choice!_

**_me_**

_I… just don't think he's exactly the kind of teacher I want, at the moment._

**_Koizumi Hiraku_**

_Alright! Fair enough!_

**_general tomfoolery_**

**_me_**

_I'm leaving for my internship today! I know it's fairly close still but we probably won't get much chance to see each other since I'll be super busy!_

**_Mori Kazuko_**

_:o good luck!_

**_Yamazaki Kyou_**

_Impress the shit out of whichever pro lucked out to get you_

**_Nakano Wakana_**

_You're going to do great! I hope you have a good time and learn lots!_

**_Shinsou Hitoshi_**

_don't die_

**_me_**

_lol thanks Shinsou_

_Thanks everyone! I'll text you when I can! 3_

Izuku corners Iida at the station, the day they're leaving for their internships. Iida's been… not _avoiding_ him, but he definitely hasn't _talked_ to him, either. And that's okay! They're not exactly close friends.

But Izuku corners him anyways.

"Hey, Iida," he says. "I just wanted to check in before we left for our internships. I know how close to your brother you are. Are you doing okay?"

"Yes, Midoriya, thank you. I'm doing fine," Iida replies, and Izuku _wants_ to believe him but can't. However, he can't really push the subject, not without kind of making an ass of himself, so he takes it.

"Alright," he says. "You still have my phone number, right? Text or call if you need to talk. About anything. I can't promise I'll respond right away, but I'm there for you, okay?"

"Okay," Iida says, and the sound of it feels hollow in Izuku's chest.

With that, they separate, each heading to different internships at different locations in different cities.

Bubble Girl meets Izuku at the train station, wearing civilian clothes, but that blue skin is striking, even in a crowd full of quirked people. There's a flash of recognition in her eyes as he approaches.

"So you're Midoriya," she says. "I'm Awata Kaoruko, though you're probably more familiar with my hero name, Bubble Girl."

"Yes, ma'am," he replies, bowing to her. "Thank you for fetching me!"

She smiles. "You're welcome. I look forward to working with you for the next week."

Izuku follows her out to the street. They walk together through the city, to the agency, just a couple minutes' walk away from the train station.

"I'm sure you're already aware of this, but I feel like it bears saying anyways," she says as they walk. "Despite our relative closeness to U.A., you will be staying with me for the duration of your internship. I've received your signed permission form, so I'm assuming that you're already aware of that and your mother didn't sign it without you."

"No, I know!" Izuku says.

"Good. I keep a strict schedule, when it comes to work, although often hero work requires being flexible, in the hours you work and the ways you operate."

Izuku nods. He should be taking notes.

"You'll probably end up spending more hours at the office than me, considering the kind of hours Sir Nighteye himself keeps, but you'll be escorted to and from the office, whether that's by me, Centipeder, Sir, or Sir's work studies student, Lemillion. We understand you're a teenager and can take care of yourself, but we _really_ don't want to be responsible for losing you."

Understandable! Izuku nods.

"So, well, with all that said, here we are! Normally, I'd tell you that you need to go upstairs and make sure you make Sir laugh, but since he reached out to you specifically, that's not exactly necessary. However: Sir highly values a good sense of humor. If you want to stick around, and maybe return for work studies, I'd figure out how to make him laugh."

"My friends consider me an endless source of terrible jokes and slap-stick humor, so I'm sure I'm fine, although most of it _is_ situational!" Izuku replies. Awata snorts, and he considers that his first victory.

Awata leads him to the secretaries as they enter.

"This is our new intern," she says, introducing him. She introduces him to everyone they come across, including Centipeder. She explains that Lemillion won't be there until the next day, and then stops in front of the door to Sir's office.

"Well," she says, "here it is. Go show him he made the right choice!"

Izuku nods to her and knocks on the door.

A smooth voice speaks from within. "Enter."

Izuku opens the door and steps inside. He's still carrying his bags, but that's fine. They're not super heavy, and he doesn't exactly have a costume yet.

"Good morning, Sir," he says, bowing.

"So you're Midoriya." When Izuku straightens up, he sees Nighteye resting his elbows on the desk, his long fingers laced together. Behind the glasses, golden eyes seemed to cut through him, sweeping up and down his form. "Congratulations on your win in the Sports Festival."

"Thank you," Izuku replies, making his own scrutiny of the man before him. Was there going to be some sort of trick? Catch? He had requested Izuku, yes, but according to Yonaga, the man was well-known for putting prospective interns through the wringer.

"You're welcome. Now, Aizawa emailed me about your situation. I understand you're currently lacking a proper hero costume, given your recent transfer into the Hero Course?"

"Yes," Izuku nods. "That's right."

"That works fine for what I have planned for you this week. While you won't be able to learn the ins and outs of fieldwork yet, it's just as important, if not more so, to learn the work that happens behind the scenes. However, first—please put your bags down and come over here. I'd like to go over your performance in the Sports Festival. Have you already reviewed it yourself?"

"Yeah," Izuku replies, nodding as he sets his bags down and walks over to the chair Nighteye pulls over for him. "I don't know if Mr. Aizawa mentioned it, but I've received training from him and Yonaga Noeru. I've been learning from Mx. Yonaga for four years, and Mr. Aizawa for three."

Nighteye nods as he pulls up footage from the Sports Festival on his computer. "He did mention something to that end in his email. So you reviewed it with them?"

"Yes."

"Hm." Nighteye navigates to the obstacle race footage. "I requested access to the footage from Nedzu, and, of course, he gave me footage from _all _the cameras, so we'll have multiple angles." He turns away from his computer to look at Izuku, who straightens up a bit, having started to lean in towards the screen.

"I hope to use this review to get an idea of how you think, how you strategize, and what your strengths and weaknesses are. So, with that, let's start."

Awata walks home with Izuku that night. He's tired, not physically, but the review of the Sports Festival with Nighteye took several hours, and then he was turned over to Awata and Centipeder for a crash course in what sort of paperwork he could expect to face.

There is _so much paperwork._

"I'm sure not every day will be this bad!" Awata says, grinning at him. He's still seeing forms in front of him, even as he's walking down the street. "I'm sure by the end of the week you'll be starting to get a handle on things."

"Mm." Izuku nods. Secretly, he's not convinced. "So… did Sir talk to you about why he sent me an offer?"

"He didn't say anything specifically, and you probably talked about it some in the review, but just watching your footage from the Sports Festival, there are a lot of qualities you have that would draw him to you," she replies. "You were a good sport." She raises a finger, beginning to count off. "You were smart, and consistently came up with and adapted plans as necessary." Second finger. "You were friendly, and worked well with your teammates and even got along nicely with people who you had just, essentially, beat up." Third finger. "And that's what I saw!"

Izuku nods, taking note of those things in his mind. "Thanks."

"Yeah, of course."

They don't speak much as they walk the rest of the way to Awata's apartment. She has a one-bedroom on the third floor of her building, but she's set up the futon in the living room already for him.

"I hope you don't mind that I don't have a spare room," she says as he sets his bags down on the futon. "I volunteered to host you, and then realized that, hey, I only have one bedroom! You could probably transfer to Moashi's place with little trouble, though."

"Oh, no, it's fine!" Izuku replies, waving his hands in front of him. "We need to head to the agency pretty early, right? What time are we leaving?"

"I normally leave at 07:30, to get there with enough time to change into my hero costume."

"Alright!" Izuku nods. He can do that.

Awata heats up a couple of TV dinners in the oven for them, and they settle down with the news on in the background. It's running coverage of a political debate regarding public quirk usage. It's important stuff to keep an eye on, yeah, but Izuku just doesn't have the brainspace to focus on it, instead pulling his phone out.

**_1-EYYYYY_**

**_me_**

_How's everyone's internships going?_

**_Kirishima Eijirou_**

_Tetsutetsu from Class B and I are at the same agency :O_

_We are! The same person!_

**_Alien Queen~~_**

_nooooo Ei don't abandon me!_

**_Kirishima Eijirou_**

_I could never!_

_Unless YOU were the traitor!_

**_Alien Queen~~_**

_*offended noises*_

**_Jirou Kyouka_**

_Please, we all know Hagakure is the traitor. She's the only one who could get to those records without getting noticed._

**_Alien Queen~~_**

_then explain why they didn't know our quirks!_

**_Jirou Kyouka_**

_Easy: she didn't want to make it too obvious that it was her_

**_me_**

_?_

**_Tokoyami Fumikage_**

_A fair number of the class appears to participate in a joke where they accuse each other of being the traitor that leaked the USJ plans to the League of Villains_

**_me_**

_Well! Okay then!_

_**Chargebolt**_

_HEY WAIT what if MIDORIYA is the traitor and he's just moving up closer to us to get better intel!_

**_me_**

_I've known most of your quirks since the first week, though._

**_Jirou Kyouka_**

_Okay, I KNOW we didn't tell you EVERYONE'S quirks_

**_me_**

_I will never tell you my secrets._

**_Tail-man_**

_I'm sure he hears all about us from Mr. Aizawa_

**_me_**

_I do not! He's very careful about maintaining a proper professional relationship, which includes Not Complaining About Specific Students to me_

_Except for Grape Boy_

_But Kayama complained about him too_

**_Urarara_**

_…okay, what IS the connection here_

_how do you know Mr. Aizawa?_

_how does he know your mom and why was "I'm telling mom" such an effective threat?_

**_me_**

_We,,,, mayhaps,,, be related_

**_Jirou Kyouka_**

_how related_

_is he like. your brother or something_

**_me_**

_Close But No Potato! He IS my mother's brother_

**_Class Prez 3_**

_That must explain why your quirks are so similar, and how you knew Iida! I know that Iida's brother and Mr. Aizawa are quite close._

**_me_**

_Yeah_

_Anyways, gotta get to bed! [thumbs up emoji] Early morning tomorrow!_

**_Kirishima Eijirou_**

_Yeah, same dude! Night!_

**_general tomfoolery_**

**_me_**

_Did you know hero-work involves literal hours of paperwork every day? I do now!_

**_Yamazaki Kyou_**

_Rest in pieces. You will be missed._

**Yamazaki, future detective, knowing that she's gonna have just as more paperwork in her future job: lmao rip Midoriya**

**anyways! i love Awata Kaoruko! she's a massively underrated character and also i'm maybe just a little gay for her**

**thank you to everyone who's read, reviewed, faved, and followed. i appreciate all of you!**

**(x-posted on ao3, username: orkestrations)**

**(prospective update day: Saturday, 4th April)**


	13. hey! that's rude!

**warnings: none?**

Awata and Izuku make themselves coffee before leaving. When it comes to coffee tastes, Izuku prefers his with way too much creamer and maybe some sugar? And luckily Awata has creamer, although she seems amused when she watches how much he puts in his thermos.

"Don't let Nighteye and Centipeder know that you're a filthy creamer drinker," she says, the corners of her mouth quirking up. "They're both stringent believers in the superiority of black coffee."

"They're not the only ones I know like that," Izuku replies, and, contrary to appearances, he's not thinking of Aizawa. No, actually, it's Yamada who drinks his coffee black.

Thermoses in hand, Awata and Izuku walk to the Nighteye Agency together. Izuku is wearing his U.A. uniform while Awata is simply wearing sweats and a T-shirt, a hoodie bearing the logo of a small-time hero school over top. It makes sense, since she'll just be changing into her costume when she gets there, but still. Izuku kind of wishes he could just wear sweats and a T-shirt to work.

"You can go up and wait at my desk," she says as they enter the agency. "Toogata, our intern, will be here soon. You'll probably spend some time with him, and then the two of you are likely to shadow either Centipeder or Sir Nighteye for the rest of the day."

"Alright," Izuku nods, and then they split up, Awata heading down the hall to the changing rooms and Izuku over to the elevator, to head up to the second story where her and Centipeder's desks are.

The doors to the elevator are just beginning to close when another boy in a U.A. uniform carrying a costume case comes in the door. His eyes lock on the elevator doors that are closing, and Izuku sticks his arm through to hold them as the other boy hurries over.

He's tall, and broad-shouldered, with fluffy blond hair and bright blue eyes. Izuku's first impression is that he's very… round.

"Hi! You must be the first-year intern Sir told me about," the other boy says, breathlessly. Did he run here from the train station?

"Yeah, that's me!" Izuku replies, grinning. "Midoriya Izuku, pleased to meet you!" He bows.

"I watched your tournament matches!" the other boy replies, grinning in return. "Toogata Mirio, at your service! You were pretty cool!"

"Thanks!" Izuku replies. There's some familiarity niggling at the back of his mind. He knows Toogata, and not just from this year's Sports Festi—oh, wait. That's right. Toogata was the one who ended up naked because of his quirk during the last year's Festival.

Izuku's not going to mention that, though. This year he must have gotten a gym uniform that works with his quirk.

"So, have you worked with Sir yet? Did you manage to make him laugh?" Toogata is very animated as he speaks, his round eyes filled with some shining excitement.

"I haven't managed it yet, but I'll make it happen," Izuku replies.

Toogata follows him to Awata's desk, chatting the entire way. He talks a bit about his experience working with Nighteye, and then he talks about his friends, and his experiences in school… Izuku lets him talk, making the appropriate noises as Toogata dispenses both advice and funny stories.

"I see you've met Toogata," Awata says as she walks over. Her white cropped jacket is still unzipped, but she tucks what looks like her hero license and a credit card into a pocket inside it and then zips it up. Toogata himself seems to perk up at her approach.

"Bubble Girl!" he says. "It's good to see you! Good morning!"

"Good morning to you, too, Toogata," she says, moving past the two boys to sit down at her desk. "Now, Sir should be in his office already," she checks the time, "so the two of you can head on up."

"Great!" Toogata flashes her a thumbs-up. "Let's go, Midoriya!" He takes off across the room at an impressive power walk, and Izuku waves at Awata before turning and jogging to catch up with Toogata. They both power walk together to the elevator, getting in and taking it up to the floor Nighteye's office is on.

That evening, Sir Nighteye requests that Izuku remain behind when Awata clocks out. He does so, waiting in a chair outside Nighteye's office while the pro himself finishes up a phone call inside. It's a long call, and Izuku's waiting for a good twenty minutes until he's called in.

"I apologize for keeping you waiting," Nighteye says as Izuku walks in. His fingers are steepled and his head is downturned, slightly, and if Izuku looks close enough, he can see the lines of stress around his eyes. "Some people just don't know the meaning of _concise_. Now, please, take a seat." He gestures to one of the chairs across the desk from him, and Izuku sits down, lacing his fingers together in his lap.

"Now that you have some experience and have seen how we operate here, I'd like to ask what you're hoping to get out of this internship. What made you choose my agency, out of any of the other offers you received?"

"Well," Izuku's left thumb starts tapping on the right. "Most of my offers came from underground heroes. There was only you and a few others who offered who are daylight heroes. And, while I realize my quirk is… suited, more for underground work, I'd like to see what else is there before I really decide. I'd rather put myself where I can do the most good, not just go where everyone expects me to."

Nighteye nods. "Indeed. And what about my agency, as opposed to every other daylight agency that sent offers?"

"Well," Izuku's right hand disengages and reaches up to the back of his head as he looks away from Nighteye's razor-sharp gaze. "You're well-respected. You're not… a limelight hero, per se, but you're known, and you have a reputation. Also," Izuku looks back towards Nighteye, steeling himself. "Mr. Aizawa called your work _steady_, and that's pretty high praise from him. You're also one of the best investigative heroes out there."

"Hm." Nighteye nods, slowly, as if he's chewing that thought over in his mind. "I see. So, now: what _exactly_ are you hoping to get out of this week?"

"Well, a handle on the paperwork, for one thing," Izuku replies, dryly. "I might get crushed under it."

Nighteye's eyes narrow in a way the Izuku finds impossible to read. Is he amused? Irritated? Izuku can't tell, and his heartrate starts to tick up.

"I'm glad that I'm experiencing how much there is right off the bat," he continues. "Even if it makes for a 'boring'," he holds up his hands for scare quotes, "internship, at least I'm learning _now _so I won't be blindsided by it later. It's… impressive, really, how much work has to go into running an agency. Um…" He trails off. Whoops. He'd rambled himself right off topic from Nighteye's original question. "Anyways. Uh, what I'm hoping to get out of this week…" he pauses, tilts his head. "I was hoping to get to see some of the investigative side of things, honestly. That might not be really possible with only a week, but really, anything is great!" That's _probably_ not the answer Nighteye is looking for.

Nighteye _hms_ again and Izuku fights his instinctual reaction to squirm under that gaze. He's _not_ an anxious little kid. (He _is_ an anxious small teenager, though, so not much difference, really.)

"I see," Nighteye finally says. "I can work with that." He stands. "I'll walk you back to Awata's apartment."

Izuku stands. It feels like he's been caught off-balance—the whole tone had shifted, so quickly, and it's all he can do to follow Nighteye out the door.

He starts to relax as they reach the street, waving good-bye to Centipeder and some of the secretaries and… private investigators? Honestly, Izuku's not sure what half the people in the agency do, but they seem nice and they all wave back at him and greet him when he runs across them in the halls so it's whatever.

"So," Nighteye says as they step outside. "You have All Might as a teacher. How have you found him to be, so far?"

Wow! That's a loaded topic! It's a good thing Izuku has a _very_ easy out.

"I haven't actually had any classes taught by him yet," Izuku replies. He shrugs as he feels Nighteye turn his gaze to him. "Since I just moved up to 1-A right after the Sports Festival, and most of our hero classes were taught by Mr. Aizawa or Ms. Kayama to get us prepared for this week."

"Ah. I see. Well, it must be different having Aizawa as a classroom teacher rather than working one-on-one."

"It is," Izuku agrees. "I'm not allowed to be as… conversational? As… _cheeky_ with him." He smirks. "Apparently, it might inspire my classmates to be cheeky, and he really doesn't want that to happen. And I see why! They're all…" he shakes his head. "They're all _wild_. You thought Tokoyami breaking my arm was the most feral thing they're capable of? No. No, it gets so much worse, and I haven't even had a practical with them yet."

Nighteye nods. "Most hero classes are, indeed, rowdy. When you put many teenagers with strong personalities and high hopes in a room together, things get… wild."

"Mhm. Apparently, Class B is worse, though, given what a friend of mine keeps saying. I knew her before U.A., so she talks about what her class is like, and she swears that one of her classmates is rabid. I mean, _obviously not_, since he hasn't _died_ yet, but still. I met him, and I do agree with her that he's… interesting. When the USJ incident happened, all the teachers got called out of class, and Class B was in the middle of a practical. According to Aomi, her class rep was trying to maintain order but this guy revolted and tried to start a battle royale. An assistant got there pretty quickly, but still."

"…Interesting," Nighteye says.

The two of them continue conversing, with Izuku doing most of the talking, until they're coming up on Awata's apartment building.

"I'm sure you're capable of making it upstairs on your own," Nighteye says, and Izuku nods. "Tomorrow, you should arrive in your uniform, but please bring along a separate set of clothes you can workout in. I would like to get a sense of your capabilities outside of the arena of the Sports Festival."

"Sure thing!" Izuku grins. "See you tomorrow!" With that, he heads inside and upstairs to Awata's apartment, using the key copy she gave him that morning.

She welcomes him back, and they have dinner again, and talk a little bit, mostly about light subjects.

After dinner, Izuku messages Iida.

**_me_**

_Hey Iida! I hope your internship is going well! [beaming face with smiling eyes] I've been doing a lot of paperwork, mostly. I can't do fieldwork since I don't have a costume yet, but I will be doing some combat training tomorrow!_

A few minutes later, the app shows his message as "read". Izuku messages another chat as he waits for a reply.

**_Class 1-EYYYYY_**

**_me_**

_So what's everyone working on? Mine's mostly paperwork, since I don't have a costume and can't do fieldwork yet!_

**_Class Prez 3_**

_I'm interning with Uwabami, alongside Kendou from Class B, and today we shot a commercial._

**_me_**

_Hey, that'll be good for recognition, at least!_

**_Class Prez 3_**

_Yeah. I guess so._

**_me_**

_Are you upset?_

**_Class Prez 3_**

_No, it's okay. I'm not upset._

**_me_**

_You're typing like you're upset. And hey, it's okay to be! Just remember, there's a lot that goes into being a successful limelight hero and a lot of that is the popularity contest. I hope you get to do something cool for the rest of your internship! [beaming face with smiling eyes]_

**_Class Prez 3_**

_Thanks Midoriya [smiling face with smiling eyes]_

**_Urarara_**

_…I feel kinda bad now because I spent my day throwing around Gunhead and all his huge sidekicks_

**_Class Prez 3_**

_Oh no! Don't be! It's okay! That sounds like you're having a good time!_

**_Urarara_**

_I am! And I'm learning how to throw people around so I can kick Midoriya's ass next time we fight!_

**_me_**

_I feel concerned_

**_Urarara_**

_Good [smiling face with horns]_

**_Chargebolt_**

_[face with open mouth] Uraraka means business. Midoriya, your days are numbered!_

Even as Izuku chatted with his classmates, no response came from Iida.

There wasn't a response when he woke up in the morning, either.

**_Class 1-EYYYYY_**

**_me_**

_Hey, has anyone heard from Iida? I texted him last night and haven't heard back from him._

**_Shiozaki Ibara_**

_No, but I will let you know if I do._

**_Chargebolt_**

_ Iida Tenya_

**_Kirishima Eijirou_**

_ Iida Tenya_

**_Alien Queen~~_**

_ Iida Tenya_

**_Urarara_**

_ Iida Tenya_

**_sticky boy tape man_**

_ Iida Tenya_

**_Satou Rikido_**

_ Iida Tenya_

Izuku still hasn't heard from him when he leaves with Awata, a bag containing his workout clothes, sports wrap and athletic tape, and ankle braces on his shoulder, and he tries to push down the worry gnawing in the pit of his stomach.

"Are you okay?" Awata asks, and obviously he hasn't done a good job of ignoring his worry.

"Yeah, I'm fine!" Izuku replies, smiling at her. "Just a little worried about one of my friends."

Awata's eyebrows draw closer together. "Would talking about it help?"

Izuku frowns and nibbles at his lower lip as he thinks. "So, uh, you heard about Ingenium, right?"

"Yes. Oh—that's right. His younger brother is in Class 1-A."

Izuku nods. "Yeah. And I haven't heard from him. I texted him last night, and normally he responds almost immediately, but… he hasn't."

Awata hums. "That's rough. Ingenium's injury and retirement is…" She pauses. "It's a hit to the hero community, it really is."

"Well, it's not like Tensei's going to be permanently retiring, even injured," Izuku replies. "As far as I've heard, he's still planning on running Idaten and keeping those teams together."

"Tensei?" Awata looks bemused, and Izuku flails a bit as he realizes that he was pretty familiar with him, there.

"Yeah! Uh, Mr. Aizawa's pretty close to him, and since he's my uncle, my mom set up family dinner nights, with Mr. Aizawa and Mr. Yamada, and then Ms. Kayama invited herself, and then she brought along Tensei and then Emi ended up inviting herself at some point, too!"

"Wow," Awata says. "Sounds like you're pretty well-connected, there."

"Yeah." Izuku nods. "I guess I am."

Izuku spends the morning and the first hour of the afternoon after lunch shadowing Awata as she works on an investigation with some of the support staff. They _do_ have corkboards with red string and a plethora of whiteboards to go along with that. The case is a persistent thief, pulling off museum heists and bank heists and jewel heists with little evidence left behind. Izuku's own theories about the thief's quirk, in fact, make it into the official investigation, and he feels a little thrill of satisfaction as he's summoned to the agency's… gym? Sparring room? that afternoon.

He's given five minutes to change into his workout clothes. Rather than bringing his U.A. gym uniform, he sticks with what is familiar and comfortable: his shorts and a large dark grey T-shirt with the sides cut out that says, in white English words on the front, _"I'm more confused than a chameleon in a bag of skittles"_. He carries his sports wrap and athletic tape into the sparring room with him and sets himself down on the floor so he can tape his wrists.

Over the years, he's gotten pretty quick at wrapping and taping his wrists, so he's almost finished when Nighteye walks in. He and Nighteye both do double takes, Izuku because seeing Nighteye wearing sweats and a T-shirt is just plain weird.

"Ah. I see you already know the importance of proper wrist support."

"Ms. Isozaki—one of my first martial arts teachers—drilled it into us," Izuku replies, finishing up with a tear of the tape. He sets the wrap and tape to the side and stands, turning to face Nighteye.

There is an obvious moment as Nighteye reads the words on his shirt, and then he _snorts and rolls his eyes_.

"Does that count as a laugh?" Izuku asks, bouncing on his feet and pointing at Nighteye. "Did I make you laugh?"

"_Yes_," Nighteye replies, shaking his head. There's a small smile on his face and fond exasperation in his voice.

"Yeah!" Izuku punches the air. "Alright!"

Nighteye and Izuku warm up together and then set up for the first spar. Nighteye instructs Izuku to make the first strike, so he does, feinting like he's going to punch with his right hand but going in with his left elbow to Nighteye's gut instead. And, honestly, while Izuku can't say that it's easy to get under Nighteye's guard, it is _simple_ considering Sir Nighteye is way taller than him.

Izuku darts out of the way of Nighteye's knee just in time, stepping under the man's arm and behind his back. Nighteye is fast, too, though, whipping around and grabbing Izuku's shirt. Izuku counters that hold quickly, breaking his grip and dodging back.

Nighteye presses forward, and Izuku just can't manage to get back inside the man's guard. It's almost as if he's seeing—

Oh.

Right.

"Hey! That's rude!" Izuku says before he brushes the four fingers of his right hand over the palm, with the pad of his thumb brushing over his index finger. There's a crackle of red energy across his body as he negates Nighteye's quirk.

"I was wondering if you could use Negation on yourself," Nighteye says as Izuku presses back in. "Can you still use your quirk against others, even after activating it on yourself?"

"Yeah," Izuku grunts as he catches Nighteye's fist on his shoulder. "'s not great though."

"It causes some sort of backlash?"

Izuku nods, dodging a knee. Nighteye doesn't speak after that, and the spar continues. It's obvious that the pro is holding back, a lot, considering his experience and the way Izuku _just barely_ manages to dodge and block.

Eventually, Nighteye ends the spar, holding up a hand and allowing them to step back and take a breather and drink some water. After their quick break, Nighteye analyzes what he's seen of Izuku's style.

It's important, having multiple teachers. Each one brings something different to the table, catching a different thing that Izuku needs to focus on, bringing a different worldview and thought process and focus to the table—and Nighteye's a _good teacher_. He's calm, he explains things in a way Izuku finds easy to understand, and he breaks everything down to their fundamentals without a second thought.

Safe to say, Izuku learns a lot that afternoon. He goes home that evening, a pleasant soreness in his muscles, the kind that says "I did something today". He chats with Awata as they walk, and she tells him about her younger siblings. One of them is hoping to make it into U.A. next year. Izuku hopes they make it.

As a matter of fact, Izuku's feeling pretty damn great until they get home and turn on the news and it shows a Hosu in flames.

"Oh no," Awata says, her hands coming up to cover her mouth. She's already halfway standing before she seems to realize that there's nothing she can do. Hosu is far enough away that they'd get there in time to do cleanup, maybe.

Izuku sends a text message to Iida, who still hasn't responded.

**_me_**

_I just turned the news on. Please be careful! Message me when you're safe, okay?_

And then he sees the _monsters_.

**_Class 1-EYYYYY_**

**_Hagakure Tooru_**

_Is anyone else seeing the news about Hosu?_

**_Kirishima Eijirou_**

_You mean the NOUMUS?_

_YOU MEAN THE MULTIPLE NOUMUS?_

**_Cat Whisperer_**

_I hope Iida's okay… wasn't he interning in Hosu?_

**_Chargebolt_**

_Iida's in Hosu with the NOUMU?!_

**_me_**

_What the FUCK is a Noumu_

_Are they those… monster things?_

**_Class Prez 3_**

_Yes. There was one at the USJ. All Might could barely beat it._

**_me_**

_Excuse me, the FUCK_

**_Class Prez 3_**

_I know. I'm sure Iida will be okay, though. Manual is a good hero and is known for keeping his interns safe and out of situations they can't handle, and Iida is smart! I'm sure he's just busy evacuating civilians_

**_Jirou Kyouka_**

_I hope you're right._

**haha forgot to update this last time so y'all ffn readers get a double update. no cliffhanger waiting for you**


	14. you're going to be okay

**_Class 1-EYYYYY_**

**_Class Prez 3_**

_Has anyone heard from Iida yet?_

**_me_**

_No. I've texted him three times this morning. They all display as delivered, but none of them as read._

**_Tail-man_**

_Maybe his phone broke?_

**_me_**

_Maybe_

See, the problem with that is that Iida has the same kind of case on that Izuku does. It would take… a _lot_ to break that phone, and that option is almost as concerning as any other realistic one.

**_sticky boy tape man_**

_You have to admit this is super weird. I'm really worried! He hasn't been active in the group chat at all since his brother got hurt_

**_Urarara_**

_I know! He's probably just upset but I'm super worried! I just hope he's okay right now [worried face]_

Awata tells him that Nighteye wants to see him in his office first thing, as soon as they get there. Izuku nods, and does so, catching the way Centipeder looks at him as the elevator stops to let Awata off.

Something sinks in Izuku's gut. Centipeder knows something. Nighteye is asking for Izuku to come meet him in his office, first thing in the morning.

His arms and legs start to feel distance, dread pulling him in until that's all he is. He's waiting, for the other shoe, for the blade of the guillotine—

The elevator dings.

The doors open.

Izuku walks out.

Down the hall, to Nighteye's office.

He knocks on the door.

"Come in."

He opens the door.

He steps into the room.

Nighteye looks up, and within the moment, recognizes Izuku. Something tightens in his expression, his brows drawing together and the muscles around his eyes tightening.

Izuku can see him press his lips together for a moment before he speaks.

"Please, have a seat." He gestures to the chair on the other side of his desk.

Izuku sits.

"I…" Nighteye begins, and then he stops, and looks down, looking at his hands. And then he looks back up, at Izuku, and his eyes aren't razor-sharp anymore. They're not trying to see through Izuku, down to his soul, to the very bones of his being.

Instead, they're _so very tired_.

"I'm so sorry, Midoriya," he says. "Last night, in Hosu, Iida Tenya was murdered by Stain."

And the world drops out from under him.

Nighteye offers him the day off. Izuku refuses.

It still hasn't quite sunk in yet, but there's still that pit in his stomach, the hole in his chest. He works his way through the motions, set to helping Awata fill out paperwork.

Awata, who came to work in her sweats and sweatshirt, still wearing them, who looks at him with sad, kind eyes. Who sits at her desk, Izuku on the other side, and fills out paperwork with him.

And who, about forty-five minutes after Izuku found out one of his _friends_ is _dead_, catches him as the dam breaks and takes his hand and leads him to an out-of-the-way room and lets him cry on her shoulder.

"Hey," she murmurs, rubbing his back as he shakes, as he tries to _breathe_, "hey. You're going to be okay. Alright? Just let it out." She keeps it up, a soft whisper of breath against his ear.

The world falls away, until it's just the two of them, just his pain and the hole in his heart and her solid, warm presence keeping him there.

Izuku eats lunch that day because it's set in front of him. He still works on paperwork, because he needs _something _to do, even if nothing will ever be _right_ again because one of his friends is _dead_.

Dead.

Iida's dead.

Murdered.

By _Stain_.

What _right_ did Stain have to cut short Iida's future like that? What right did _anyone_? _Why_ did Stain even _do_ that? Iida was _15_, for fuck's sake! 15!

What right did he have?

"Midoriya."

He startles. Looks up. There's Nighteye, standing above him, that tight _concern_ on his face—

Izuku realizes he's shaking. His hands are fists. There's this twisted, hot feeling in his chest.

Oh.

Anger.

"Come with me," Nighteye says as Izuku coaxes his hands out of their tensed position.

He stands, glances at Awata. Awata, who nods. _Go on_, her expression says.

Izuku follows Nighteye.

Nighteye leads Izuku back, to the sparring room. "Go get changed," he says.

Izuku gets changed. He changes into the same clothes he'd worn yesterday, the same outfit he'd worn before _the world had dropped out from underneath him_—

The Izuku of yesterday was not the same Izuku that was changing into them now. How could he be?

He yanks on his ankle braces, fastens them tighter than maybe he should. He stops. Loosens them a bit. Better. They won't cut off his circulation now.

He wraps and tapes his wrists, careful not to wrap too tightly.

Nighteye is changed, also, when he gets there. It's not sparring, what they do, not really.

Izuku's sure he'll appreciate it once there's ground underneath his feet again.

Izuku gets a text from his mom. He replies to his mom.

Izuku gets a text from Hisashi, who got a text from his mom. He replies to Hisashi.

Izuku gets a text from his mom. He replies to his mom.

Izuku gets a text from Mashirao. He replies to Mashirao.

Izuku gets a text from Shinsou. He replies to Shinsou.

Izuku gets a text from his mom. He replies to his mom.

Izuku opens the text conversation between himself and Iida. The last three messages are marked as Unread.

They will never be Read.

Izuku gets a text from his mom.

Nighteye walks Awata and Izuku back to Awata's apartment. They don't say much. Izuku watches the people walk by around him. The news hasn't hit yet that a U.A. student is dead. Izuku knows that because he has accounts on _so many_ hero forums. He has several prominent Twitter accounts in the hero analysis community and one or two in the hero fandom.

He will _know_ when the story breaks.

He turns off notifications for Twitter.

Nighteye leaves them at the door to the apartment complex, turning to go back to the agency, but not before placing a hand on Izuku's shoulder. They don't say anything, they just stand there for a moment, because maybe the world's crashed down around them.

It's a moment. Nighteye's hand is solid. Large. A little cold. Nighteye has cold hands.

And then the moment's over.

Nighteye turns. Leaves. Awata opens the door, herds Izuku through it. They walk up the stairs, to Awata's apartment, where she unlocks the door and he walks inside.

He kicks off his shoes.

He curls up on the futon, not even bothering to go to the bathroom and change out of his uniform.

"Hey," Awata says, soft, gentle, a few minutes later, as she sets down a bowl of soup on the coffee table. "Talk to me?"

Izuku stares at the soup. He looks up. Stares at Awata. Her expression is soft. So soft. There's a sadness in her eyes.

Does she know this feeling yet?

He thinks she does.

"What am I supposed to say?" he asks. His voice cracks.

"You say whatever you need to," she replies.

He sits up, and she sits down next to him in the space that's just opened up. She opens up her arms, a silent offer, and Izuku scoots closer, letting her fold him into her embrace.

"I…" he pauses. "I _don't know_ what I need to say."

"And that's okay," Awata replies.

"We… we weren't even that _close_," Izuku says, and he shakes his head, his hair rubbing against her sweatshirt. "Like… I've known him for a while but we? We weren't? We weren't close."

"That's okay," Awata repeats. Her hand is rubbing up and down his upper arm. The motion is… it's good. "You don't need to be best friends with someone to be hit hard by their death."

"I know," Izuku whispers, closing his eyes. "But I wish we'd _been_ closer. We could've been. We should've been. I could've tried harder."

"It's tough," Awata says. "To be faced with the coulds, the woulds, the shoulds." All Izuku can do is nod. "All you can do is… your best, I guess, to try and move on and move forward with your life."

Izuku nods.

"…Yeah," he says. "Yeah. I guess so. I just… I…" He shifts a bit, into a more comfortable position. Awata doesn't stop running her hand up and down his arm as he does. "I'm also kind of worried? About my classmates. And Mr. Aizawa. And Tensei. And… And also…" He can feel the tears building up again, his eyes starting to water. "I just. It. It's _unfair_," he whispers.

"I know it is," Awata murmurs.

"I could've—I—I. I wish I could've—" he curls in on himself, like he's been punched in the gut. And in a way, he has. "I wish I could've _done something_." His voice breaks, one final, ultimate break before he can no longer speak through his tears. Awata pulls him closer, holds him tight, as he cries into her sweatshirt for the second time that day.

Would he ever be out of tears to cry?

…Probably not.

It's quicker, this time, it doesn't last as long, only a couple minutes before he's swiping the tears away from his eyes with the back of his hand and drying his face off with a washcloth Awata stood up to fetch for him. The soup's still there, on the table.

The soup's still there.

He reaches out, and the bowl is still warm to the touch, thankfully. He picks it up and pulls it closer: he knows she put it there for him.

He begins to eat it as she sits down in her chair.

"Have… Have you lost anyone?" he asks. "Like this."

She looks at the wall. There are pictures hanging there, of her high school classmates, of her and Centipeder and Nighteye, of people who must be her family.

"Yes," she says. "My classmate, a month before we graduated. She responded to a villain attack with her work study mentor. They were both killed, along with seventeen civilians and two other heroes."

"…Oh." Izuku feels tiny, all of a sudden, in a way that he can't identify as good or bad. He takes another bite of the soup.

"It's…" Awata swallows and reaches up to brush away her own tears. "It still hurts, sometimes. I don't think the pain ever goes away. But it'll get better, I promise."

Izuku nods. He understands that, cerebrally. He's watching her, as he eats his soup, and she turns her head back towards him, her big golden eyes shining in the light of her lamp.

"Midoriya," she begins.

"Izuku," he says, cutting her off. His voice shakes. "Call me Izuku."

She pauses. "…Izuku. You don't have to feel guilty for anything, alright? You're… I can tell, alright, I can tell that, somehow, for some reason, you're blaming yourself right now, for his death or, or just for something _related_ to it. Or, I don't know, maybe I'm off the mark entirely. And, I know, I know I've only known you for a few days." She pauses. "But Izuku, I know you did everything you could. You're… you're so_ dedicated_ and you work so hard, and I just know that no matter what, you did everything anyone could've asked you to. I… I admit, I don't know the whole situation, but please, you have _nothing_ to be guilty over. Okay? Nothing."

The moment hangs, and Izuku looks down, into the empty bowl in his hands.

"…Okay," he says.

He stands up and carries the bowl into the kitchen.

"Oh, and Izuku?"

"Hm?"

"Call me Kaoruko."

"Mhm."

He's smiling, a little, as he washes the bowl.

***Jake Peralta voice* guess who just got ****_MURDERED_**

**it took me. way too long. to make up my mind about Iida. he's my favorite character, and i love him to bits, but. y'know. for want of a nail and all that.**

**(yes Native's dead too, fuck that guy)**

**so, in happier tidings, i'm currently working on plotting this story past available canon material. if any of you have any ideas for events for first and second rounds of future sports festivals, leave 'em for me in the comments.**

**also, question: is Endeavor a walking violation of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons? Protocol III prohibits the use of incendiary weapons against civilians and civilian objects. How does his spot as an officially licensed hero affect this?**

**i was going to ask if Endeavor is a walking ethical violation but. we already knew that**

**anyways! thank you for reading and i hope you enjoyed!**

**(x-posted on ao3, username: orkestrations)**


	15. present midnight

**warnings: some self-deprecating thoughts/narration (flashback scene), implied/referenced misgendering and dysphoria (flashback scene)**

Izuku feels… better in the morning. He has a crying hangover, there's a dull ache in his chest that's probably grief, and he has a phone full of concerned text messages from his mother, from Yonaga, from Shinsou and Yamazaki and Mori, but. He feels better.

He responds to the texts, full sentences this time rather than the one or two-word replies he can see from yesterday. Kaoruko tells him not to bother with his uniform, Nighteye _really_ won't mind, so he doesn't, and they make their coffee and then walk to the agency together, matching in their depression hoodies and sweats and Izuku with his red shoes and her with her crusty white tennis shoes.

The secretaries and support staff barely blink as they walk in, waving and greeting them. Toogata's back, chatting with Centipeder with his usual smile in place. He falls silent as Izuku and Kaoruko walk in. His expression is… uncomfy.

He's uncomfortable, Izuku realizes. Uncomfortable with… with Izuku's grief, probably. That's a thing that happens to people.

So Izuku smiles at him. It's probably a little strained, and his eyes are definitely still red, but he smiles, and it kind of feels like he means it. "Morning, Toogata."

"…Morning, Midoriya!" Toogata doesn't relax, per se, but he smiles and waves so Izuku calls that a win. He sits with Kaoruko at her desk, and she pulls out the paperwork Centipeder's put there, and they get to work.

Nighteye comes down soon after that, seemingly to talk to Centipeder—oh, no, it's to take Toogata on patrol. He does, however, pause and give a very long look in Izuku and Kaoruko's direction.

"The fact that you own, and wear in public, _that_ particular Present Mic sweatshirt has me re-evaluating your intelligence," Nighteye says. Izuku just gives him a thumbs-up as he and Toogata (now Lemillion, in his hero costume) head out.

After spending about an hour doing paperwork with Kaoruko, she calls in one of the supports Izuku had worked with on the third day and sends him off with them. He spends the rest of the morning helping them with research and some of the more mundane aspects of the investigation, like babysitting the computer that's running background checks and cross-referencing databases.

The news story about Iida breaks at some point that morning. When he checks his phone at lunch, the news of his death is one of the few things on his Twitter feed, on _any_ of his socials, honestly.

He can't bring himself to read any of the articles, look through any of the threads.

He should.

He needs to know what people are saying.

He says as much to Kaoruko, who shakes her head.

"You don't," she says. "You don't need to know. Not right now. Give yourself the space to grieve, first, rather than just pouring salt on the wound."

He spends the afternoon with Nighteye and Toogata, observing as Nighteye handles coordinating a multi-agency investigation on the same serial thief he'd helped with on the third day. It's something he can just take notes on, which is good because he can feel the lump in the back of his throat and the stinging in his eyes and the concern in Toogata's expression. At one point, a very tall, skinny man who introduces himself as Yagi Toshinori comes in to pull Mirio away for training.

Before they leave, Mirio smiles and puts a big, warm hand on Izuku's shoulder. "Chin up, okay? You've got this!"

"Yeah," Izuku says, summoning a ghost of a smile.

Mirio squeezes his shoulder before leaving with Yagi.

And then, at last, the day is over, the internship is over, and Izuku walks back to Kaoruko's apartment with her for the last time.

They trade phone numbers the next morning before they leave for the train station. Izuku leaves the copy of her apartment key on the hooks inside the door and she makes him promise to keep in touch, and to consider Nighteye's agency for long-term work studies when he has his provisional license in a year or so.

And then he's on the train.

**_Class 1-EYYYYY_**

**_me_**

_Anyone else bored on their train rides or is it just me_

**_Chargebolt_**

_I am. Hella bored. There's this old guy who smells like corn sitting next to me. He keeps muttering about dogs and stuff._

**_Jirou Kyouka_**

_So move._

**_Chargebolt_**

_No! That's rude!_

**_Jirou Kyouka_**

_No. It isn't._

**_Chargebolt_**

_Yes it is! The car was full and so we sat together and now we are comrades in this train ride!_

_Oh nevermind he just got off_

**_Jirou Kyouka_**

_So much for comrades. What about you, Midoriya. Do you have any interesting train passengers?_

**_me_**

_There's one guy with really big wings (Not Hawks) who looks like he's about ready to throw himself out the window at any moment_

**_I Cannot Stop Twinkling_**

_If I Could Fly, I Would Simply Not Ride The Train_

**_sticky boy tape man_**

_Quirk use laws_

**_me_**

_Permits can be obtained for special cases! Not sure he could get one just because he wants to avoid crowded trains, though._

**_Chargebolt_**

_I will get a permit so I can wrap myself in fairy lights_

**_I Cannot Stop Twinkling_**

_Oh! What An Inspired Idea! You Are Truly A Visionary~*~*~_

**_Chargebolt_**

_Thanks! It's a good thing someone appreciates me, JIROU_

**_Jirou Kyouka_**

_It's a terrible idea and you should be ashamed_

Izuku passes his time by chatting with the handful of classmates active in the group chat, alternating with watching videos of villain-hero encounters that took place over his internship week and taking down notes and analyses on them in the code that Yonaga had come up with for him.

See, a few years ago, small child Izuku left his hero analysis notebook at the dojo.

_Yonaga's expression is Very Serious as Izuku walks into their meeting room. Izuku is eleven, and he's only known Yonaga for a couple months, and he's still struggling to learn how they show their emotions, the same way it took him time to learn Isozaki and Kazue and Mashirao's._

_"Good afternoon, Midoriya," they say. They're already sitting on the bench, and they pat the spot next to them. "Come have a seat."_

_"Okay," Izuku replies, pausing for a moment before walking over. He reaches, to tug a curl from his ponytail into his hand, before he remembers! He just got his hair cut yesterday! He finally asked his mom if he could have short hair, and she said yes, and it's short now! She said it looked good on him!_

_(She had called it _cute_ and _pretty_ but she doesn't know because he hasn't _told her yet_-)_

_So, he has to reach up a little higher to twirl his hair as he walks over and sits down next to Yonaga. They still have that serious expression on their face._

_"You're a smart kid," they say, without preamble or context or any setup whatsoever, and Izuku feels the heat rush to his face as he ducks his head. His bangs can still fall in his eyes, but he no longer has that curtain of hair to hide behind, and he kind of misses that._

_"…You left your notebook here last time," they continue, pulling something out of their laptop bag. Izuku looks over, and yes! It is his notebook. "I only looked at the first page, but I see you writing in it all the time while you're waiting for your mom to pick you up. Do you mind if I look at some of the rest of it?"_

_Izuku shakes his head. No, he doesn't mind. __(They've probably looked already…)_

_"No, you don't mind, or no, you don't want me to?"_

_"No, I don't mind." His voice is softer than he wants it to be._

_"Thank you," Yonaga says, opening the notebook. "Scoot over and we can look together. You can tell me about what you wrote."_

_Izuku complies, scooting over. It's open to a page on a recently debuted hero. Izuku hasn't had much of a chance to compile information on them, especially since they went to a smaller hero school so there's no footage from their school days like there would be if they'd gone to a school like U.A._

_Yonaga asks questions as they go through Izuku's notebook. How did he come to this conclusion, why did he note down _this thing in particular_, what are those scorch marks from?_

_(Izuku just tells them, in response to that last question, that a friend of his lost control of his quirk while looking at his notebook. It's the truth, kind of.)_

_They go through half the notebook before it seems like Yonaga is satisfied._

_"I… amend my earlier statement," Yonaga says, the notebook clasped in their hands, between their knees as they rest their arms on their thighs. "You're not just smart, Midoriya, you're a goddamn genius."_

_"Thanks," he whispers, ducking his face. He can feel his eyes stinging. (Don't cry don't cry don't cry-)_

_"But this," Yonaga lifts up the notebook in one hand, giving it a small shake, "this could be dangerous."_

_"Dangerous?" Izuku asks, looking up at their face._

_"Yeah," they nod. "You have a lot of extremely accurate information and analysis in here. If you forgot this notebook on, say, the bus, and, say, a villain got hold of it… well. They could use this information."_

_"…Oh." He hadn't thought of that. "So I should stop taking notes."_

_"No!" Yonaga leans back, backtracking as quickly as they could. "No, I'm not saying that. Midoriya, have you ever thought about learning a code to write your notes in?"_

_"A code?" he looks up, and Yonaga's silver eyes are shining._

_"Yeah," they say. "A code. Something that just you and me will know."_

Just_ Izuku and Yonaga?_

_"Okay," Izuku says, sitting up straight and squaring their shoulders. "Teach me."_

_Yonaga chuckles, and Izuku _Knows_ this chuckle! It's the 'I think you're a good kid' chuckle!_

_"Well, I know a few codes, but nothing unique. Let me talk to some friends of mine, see if they can help me come up with something brand new for you, okay? In the meantime," they hold the notebook out, "keep this close."_

_"I will!" Izuku accepts the return of the notebook, sliding it into his backpack before he forgets and leaves it again __and wipes that friendly expression right off Yonaga's face—_

Safe to say, Izuku knows _several_ codes now. He has that first one that Yonaga helped him come up with, he has a couple that Aizawa taught him, and he has one that he and Hisashi came up with together the last time his mother's husband-friend was in Japan.

In his lap, his phone buzzes, and Izuku looks at it. It's a text from his mother, letting him know that Aizawa and Yamada will be the ones picking him up from the train station, and that he can expect them, Kayama, and Fukukado over for dinner. He texts her back a quick _ok_ with a thumbs up emoji before switching to the 1-A groupchat.

**_1-EYYYYY_**

**_Urarara_**

_Someone recognized me from the Sports Festival [neutral face] They asked me about Iida_

**_Class Prez 3_**

_Please tell me we don't need to worry about you getting any assault charges_

**_Urarara_**

_No, but I think they felt pretty bad when I started crying. And there's so many people on my public Twitter who keep -ing me and asking me what I think. IT'S ONLY BEEN TWO DAYS._

**_me_**

_The news only broke yesterday, though. It'll take a while for people to get over it._

**_Urarara_**

_But is it too much to ask for them to be SENSITIVE?_

**_me_**

_Yes_

**_sticky boy tape man_**

_That… is not the answer I was expecting, from you._

**_me_**

_What, you want me to lie?_

**_sticky boy tape man_**

_No, man! It just kinda caught me a little off-guard, that's all_

**_Urarara_**

_Maybe I do want you to lie_

**_Me_**

_The sky is green_

**_Urarara_**

_That's not what I meant, but thank you [smiling face with smiling eyes]_

**_Kirishima Eijirou_**

_Okay but what did you mean with that "Yes"_

**_Chargebolt_**

_Yeah, that's what I want to know!_

**_me_**

_It's… difficult to explain? So. I may or may not run a few popular accounts on the hero and quirk analysis side of twitter, and also one or two fandom accounts. And. So. You know. I see what it's all like. A lot of them can be… really insensitive._

_Like_

_They'll just use whatever's going on as props for their own agenda_

_Kinda like politicians_

_They'll just. Tear apart everything they can find and. Don't really seem to realize that? Heroes are just? People?_

_And there's a reason the press are called vultures lol_

**_Urarara_**

_…So you've seen this happen before, then._

**_me_**

_Yeah_

_Never as personal, though_

_I mean, there was the time when the Present Midnight shippers were. Y'know. Doing That. Even when Midnight came out as lesbian [upside-down face]_

**_Urarara_**

_Midnight's a lesbian?_

**_Kirishima Eijirou_**

_…present midnight…._

**_Jirou Kyouka_**

_Isn't Present Mic gay?_

**_me_**

_No, he's bi_

**_Chargebolt_**

_How do you KNOW this_

**_me_**

_It's on his Wikipedia page?_

**_Chargebolt_**

_So it is!_

**_Kirishima Eijirou_**

_PRESENT MIDNIGHT?_

**_Alien Queen~~_**

_Do those shippers not have eyes? It's OBVIOUS that Present Mic has a thing for Mr. Aizawa._

Izuku will not say anything. Izuku will keep his mouth shut. Literally, since he's pressing the back of his hand against his lips, trying to hold back the laughter that's bringing tears to his eyes, that's threatening to burst out and catch the attention of the _whole car_.

**_Chargebolt_**

_Huh? He does?_

**_Alien Queen~~_**

_And it's obvious Mr. Aizawa likes him back! I mean, how ELSE could Mr. Mic have gotten him to help commentate on the Sports Festival?_

**_Tsuyu_**

_They could just be friends._

**_Alien Queen~~_**

_But they're NOT_

**_Todoroki Shouto_**

_I agree with Ashido._

**_Chargebolt_**

_TODOROKI_

**_Alien Queen~~_**

_TODOROKI_

**_sticky boy tape man_**

_TODOROKI_

**_Kirishima Eijirou_**

_TODOROKI_

**_Satou Rikidou_**

_TODOROKI_

**_Urarara_**

_TODOROKI_

**_Todoroki Shouto_**

_I am muting you again._

**_Alien Queen~~_**

_As you do. Thank you for the support, sir._

_ANYWAYS, SEE! TODOROKI AGREES. Mr. Mic and Mr. Aizawa are mutually pining for each other and it is our job, as their students, to get them to realize their feelings are requited!_

**_me_**

_Please don't._

_I'm sure they'd rather you stay out of their business_

**_Class Prez 3_**

_Midoriya is correct. It's not our place to get involved. Our teachers' love lives are none of our concern._

**_Alien Queen~~_**

_Killjoy [unamused face] [frowning face]_

**_Tokoyami Fumikage_**

_Killjoy, as in the 2010 studio album by My Chemical Romance, Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys?_

**_Alien Queen~~_**

_Wot_

_No_

_I was saying that Yaoyorozu is killing my joy_

_Why would you even. Why would you even think of that other thing_

**_Jirou Kyouka_**

_If she's killing your joy, then let it die._

**_Alien Queen~~_**

_WOW. OKAY._

**_Chargebolt_**

_That's intense!_

**_Jirou Kyouka_**

_I'm with Yaoyorozu and Midoriya. Don't get weird about our teachers, okay?_

**_Alien Queen~~_**

_Wait. Midoriya! Mr. Aizawa's your uncle, right? You'd know if he has any partners or anything!_

**_me_**

_I think Todoroki has the right idea_

**_Alien Queen~~_**

_No don't go!_

**_me_**

_Please don't ask me about his personal life_

**_Alien Queen~~_**

_Okay, I promise!_

**_Class Prez 3_**

_I'll mute anyone who pries, Midoriya_

**_me_**

_[image: a blurry picture of a longhaired tabby cat with its mouth open in a yawn, blurry heart emojis around it]_

_Thank you Yaoyorozu_

_You're my #1_

**_Class Prez 3_**

_Anytime_

Izuku stretches his arms over his head as he gets off the train. It's easy to find Aizawa and Yamada in the flow of people coming and going, even with Yamada's hair down.

They both look… stressed. There's a tightness around Aizawa's eyes that wasn't there before the internship week, and the dark circles under Yamada's eyes don't belong there. Izuku pauses for a moment, and decides, walking forward.

Aizawa notices him first, and seems to be starting to say something before Izuku collides with him, burying his face in his teachers chest and wrapping his arms around his torso.

There's a moment of startled nothingness before Aizawa's arms come to circle around Izuku, his hands resting on his student's back.

**hey! something a little lighter for y'all after what happened last chapter. i hope you enjoyed!**

**i'm currently working on the hideout raid arc right now and oh man. oh man am i having fun. y'all just ****_wait_**** it's gonna be so good i'm so excited.**

**thank you to everyone who's read, reviewed, fave'd and followed! i appreciate all of you!**

**(x-posted on ao3, username: orkestrations)**

**(expected update date: Monday, 13 April)**


	16. y'know, normally that doesn't happen

**warnings: grief and discussions of death (minor, they're still healing), That One Time With Mineta And The Locker Rooms is mentioned, bullying, heights and falling, near-death experiences (minor), results of quirk overuse (migraine/sensory overload)**

Aizawa and Yamada walk on either side of Izuku. It's a beautiful late spring day, the sky a bright blue with the occasional wispy cloud and contrail drifting through. The trees are bright green, the temperature is pleasant, and everyone seems to be out enjoying the day. It's quite the dissonance to the serious mood that's settled around the shoulders of the three of them.

"So." Aizawa finally speaks. He glances down at Izuku, and Izuku looks up. The scar under his eye is still a newly healed pink, standing out against the rest of his pale skin. "How are you dealing."

Izuku shrugs. "I'm… okay," he replies. "I think I'm okay."

"You sure?" Aizawa raises an eyebrow, and Izuku needs to pause and think which is, in itself, an answer to his teacher's question. After a few moments, he shakes his head and shrugs.

"No, not really," he replies.

Aizawa waits a couple moments, and, once it's clear that's all Izuku has to say, replies. "And that's okay. You don't have to be okay yet."

"I know," Izuku nods. "I…" he pauses. "Kaoruko and I. We. We talked. Some. And." There's Yamada's hand on his back, all bony fingers but steadying all the same. "And maybe? I'm feeling a little guilty? Even though there's…" he shakes his head. "There's literally nothing I could've done. He was… he got separated from Manual, and cornered by Stain, and there's nothing I could've done because. Well. He was in Hosu. I was not." He breathes in, shaky, breathes out, steadier. "So I know. I know up here," he points to his head, "that there's nothing I could've done. But here," he moves his hand, resting his loose fist against his sternum, "I wish there's something I had done that would've made things better."

Neither adult replies for a few moments.

"That's a familiar feeling," Yamada is the one to speak, now. "I think most heroes feel like that. That's just… part of being the type of person who wants to help people."

Izuku nods. For about half a block, none of them say anything, until Yamada speaks up again.

"I know you have a therapist already," he says, "but there are resources at the school you can use, too. I hope you keep them in mind, if you need them."

"Hm." Izuku nods. "My mom… already set up an appointment for me with Dr. Mori tomorrow."

"That's good," Aizawa says. And then, "we're here."

Here is a small coffeeshop. There are big windows at the storefront, but further back it gets dimmer, cozier, most light coming from strands of fairy lights held up by small metal hooks screwed into the brick of the wall. The main clientele seems to be university students and the odd crunchy hippie.

The three of them order their drinks and find their way to a loveseat and an armchair, tucked away in a corner. There's a table there with a couple magazines on it, and the one on top has a picture of Miruko kicking a villain with rocky skin, taken from a fight a couple weeks ago.

"So," Izuku says, leaning back in the chair as Aizawa and Yamada take the loveseat. Yamada pulls Aizawa close to his side, a casual form of PDA that Aizawa normally wouldn't participate in. "Your concerns about me being a bad influence on my classmates are unfounded and completely false. I would like to state, for the record, that I have been a mitigating factor so far."

"Oh?" Aizawa raises an eyebrow.

"Yeah," Izuku replies and then changes the topic. "My internship was good, before you ask. Well, apart from the obvious really shitty bit."

That draws a huff and a quick twitch of the lips out of Aizawa while Yamada asks him what the best part was.

"Well," Izuku's index finger rests on his cheek as he thinks. "I got to shadow some support staff as they investigated a serial heister. They actually kept some of my theories on the heister's quirk, which is pretty cool. And I enjoyed the, uh, the _one spar _I had with Nighteye. He's… a good teacher, I think. He was good at teaching me, at least."

"He has mentored that one third-year student, ah, what's his name…"

"Toogata?" Izuku supplies, and Yamada nods.

"Yeah, him! He's really benefited from his work study with Nighteye. I remember his second-year Sports Festival, and then he won the third years' this year! What a difference."

"It helps that he remembered to put in a request for support gear this year," Aizawa mutters. Izuku nods.

"I also learned how to do… a lot of different kinds of paperwork," Izuku continues. He grimaces as he thinks about some of the forms he saw. "Most of it was just practice, there wasn't much need for me to actually fill out paperwork, but I helped out Kaoruko with what I could."

"She's who you stayed with," Aizawa says, more of a context-setter than a question. "Sounds like you got close."

Izuku shrugs. "Yeah. I mean. I was staying with her. She made me soup. I got snot and tears all over her sweatshirt, like, five different times and we talked about our experiences with death. So." He nods. "So yeah."

Aizawa blinks, slowly, and then nods, seemingly satisfied with that answer.

"She made you soup?" Yamada asks.

"Yeah," Izuku replies. "She made me soup. Oh! And she told me about her brother. He's hoping to make it into U.A.'s heroics program next year."

"I'll have to keep an eye out for him, then," Yamada replies. It looks like he's about to continue speaking when one of the workers at the counter call out their orders.

"I'll go get them," Izuku says, springing to his feet. Aizawa and Yamada look way too comfortable there to be interrupted.

All three drinks retrieved, conversation continues, keeping mostly to Izuku's internship. They're there for about half an hour after they get their drinks, and then they take their cups to the bins for them and leave, walking the rest of the way to Izuku's apartment.

His mother doesn't hesitate, rushing forward to hug him as soon as he's through the door. Aizawa and Yamada both have work to do, considering it's only early afternoon, so they briefly greet Inko and then head off.

After a very long (and very welcome) hug, Izuku takes his bags back to his bedroom and checks his phone. He sends a couple quick messages, to Shinsou and the _general tomfoolery_ chat and the hero hopefuls chat before heading back out to the living room. His mother had taken the afternoon off so that she could be there for him when he got home, so the least he could do was… like… _talk_ to her, even if all he _really_ wanted to do was curl up in his bed and take a nap.

So. He walks to the living room and sits down on the couch, bringing his legs up and tucking them against his chest.

At first, all they talk about is his internship, and interesting things that happened at her work this week. And then they start to talk about Iida, about his older brother, and Aizawa and Yamada and Kayama and Fukukado.

They talk about grief.

And then they don't talk about much at all.

"I'm going to get started on dinner," his mother says, standing up, and Izuku uncurls and gets to his feet as well.

"I'll help," he says.

Aizawa, Yamada, and Kayama arrive together, and Fukukado not long after that. Between Fukukado, Yamada, and Kayama, the apartment is the exact opposite of quiet, which doesn't help the growing itch under Izuku's skin.

Izuku's not an idiot. He knows the signs of an impending sensory overload, the ringing, the stabbing, that itch. So he slips away to his room for a couple moments to put his earplugs in before returning to the dining room.

Yamada must have noticed, because he tones it down, and Fukukado and Kayama follow suit.

Dinner is… nice, despite the tiredness that's beginning to settle in Izuku's bones like it lives there. Could he tell you a single thing they talked about? No, not really. But it's warm and it's family and it's nice.

Sunday is spent calling Hisashi, sleeping, and going to his appointment with Dr. Mori. His mother is gone at work all day, but he makes sure he eats something, even if that something's just instant noodles and two carrots.

Returning to school is… strange. Izuku puts on his uniform. He kisses his mother on the forehead as he heads out the door. He meets Mashirao, Wakana, Aomi, and Shinsou at various points on the train.

"Hey, you're U.A. students!" someone says. "A couple of you are in Class 1-A, right?"

Shinsou glares at them. They cringe and turn away.

No one else says anything.

When they get to the spot where they need to split up to go to their separate classrooms, Wakana hugs Mashirao and Shinsou, hesitant, puts a hand on Izuku's shoulder. Izuku, subconsciously, reaches up and covers Shinsou's hand with his own.

"Hey," Shinsou says. "Uh. You got this."

The corners of Izuku's mouth twitch upwards.

"Thanks," he says.

Shinsou squeezes his shoulder, and then they separate, with Shinsou and Wakana heading to 1-C together and Mashirao, Aomi, and Izuku heading to the hallway their classrooms are in. Aomi hugs them both, her arms like vices as she pulls them to her, before they head into their separate classrooms.

Yaoyorozu, Shiozaki, Tsuyu, and Tokoyami are the only ones already there. Tsuyu is in the back corner, perched exactly like a frog on Tokoyami's desk to talk to them both. Shiozaki has her nose buried in a book at her own desk.

Both of them do their best not to look at Iida's desk, at the flowers that are already there.

Mashirao, for his part, slides into his seat and leans over towards Shiozaki. "What are you reading?" he asks. She pauses, and shows him the cover while Izuku walks by her desk. They exchange a quick greeting as he walks by, joining the three in the back corning.

"Good morning, Midori," Tsuyu says.

He gives her a small smile. "Morning, Tsu. Tokoyami. Yaoyorozu." Tokoyami and Yaoyorozu return the greeting.

"We were just talking about our internships," Yaoyorozu says. "You interned with Sir Nighteye, correct? What was it like?"

"It was a lot of paperwork, mostly," Izuku replies, tugging on a lock of his hair. "I didn't get to go in the field any, since I didn't have a costume yet. I got to help out on an investigation, though!"

"Oh, that's neat!" Yaoyorozu says. From almost anyone else, it would sound like a dismissive comment, but the way she leans forward and her eyes shine tells him otherwise. "What sort of investigation?"

"Well," Izuku looks away, a bit of a self-conscious smile coming to his face. "I'm not sure how much of the details I can tell you, but it's a serial heister!"

"Oh, I think I know what you're talking about—I've been reading up on it, and it fits the area where Sir Nighteye's agency is," Yaoyorozu replies. "They're saying that one of the leading theories about the heister's quirk came from a high school intern. That has to be you!"

Heat rises to Izuku's cheeks. "Uh, y-yeah, probably! Uh, what about you, Tokoyami? You went to Hawks' agency?"

"Yes," Tokoyami replies, dipping his head. "It was most… enlightening."

Izuku nods. That's probably all they're getting out of him, to be honest.

"Tell him about Innsmouth," Yaoyorozu says, nodding to Tsuyu, who begins to tell Izuku about Innsmouth.

In the ten minutes left before class starts, the rest of the class trickles in. Tsuyu returns to her own desk, and Sero slips into his in front of Tokoyami's.

"Hey," Sero says, waving at them. "How were internships?"

No one wants to talk about the empty desk in the room.

However, they cannot avoid it forever, especially when homeroom begins and they get a quick talk from Aizawa about the sorts of resources the school has available for them.

Izuku's costume is finally ready, so he swings by the classroom with Mashirao, Jirou, Tokoyami, and Shouji when they go to pick their cases up.

"I can't wait to see how your design came out," Mashirao says. His eyes are glued to Izuku's case with the big number 19 on it, and Izuku himself feels like maybe Uraraka just used her quirk on him and he's about to float off into space.

"Me too!" he replies, skipping a little as he walks. He's hugging his case to his chest, the hard edges digging into his fingers, but that's okay.

"I have to admit, I'm curious to see what sort of aesthetic you went with," Jirou says. "Some sort of space aesthetic, right, with the name you picked?"

"You'll see!" he chirps, skipping again. He can't manage to keep his feet on the ground at all, can he?

They split up at the changing rooms, with Jirou heading into one and Mashirao, Tokoyami, and Shouji into another. There's a funky spot on the wall between them, and Izuku points at it. "What's that from?"

"That's what got grape boy expelled," Mashirao replies. "There_ used_ to be a hole through the wall there."

"Oh." Izuku cringes. "Oh, ew, that sucks. That's so. That's gross."

"He got what he deserved," Tokoyami says. "His dark presence no longer hangs over us."

Mashirao is the only one of the four who _doesn't_ slip away into the stalls in the back. Izuku doesn't care about changing in front of Mashirao, considering they've known each other since before he came out, but he's not going to do that when any of their other classmates could come in.

He does wonder, a little bit, about Shouji and Tokoyami. Are they trans too? Or, given their heteromorphic quirks, are they just self-conscious about the differences in their bodies?

No matter what it is, Izuku resolves not to pry.

Izuku changes quickly, slipping into the black and green bodysuit and putting the boots on before heading to the main part of the changing room to finish, pulling on his gloves, strapping on his red utility belt, and shrugging on the shoulder holster. It has two holsters: the pistol with darts loaded with a synthesized neurotoxin, designed to immobilize, goes in the one he'll reach with his left hand for, and the one with paint rounds goes in the one for his right hand.

His last steps are to situate the mouthguard around his neck, where he'll have it if he needs it, and then slip on his visor, currently clear.

He had spent a lot of time in the support department labs in the days leading up to the internship, learning both about the neurotoxin in his darts and the HUD going in his visor. It has a variety of uses and capabilities that he'll probably have to spend a lot of time practicing, but the main utilities are the night vision, infrared, and thermal imaging capabilities. He can switch between options via a dial in the earpieces.

The earpieces are, in all honesty, Izuku's favorite part of the costume. Made out of a matte black metal with burnished golden-colored accents (matching the color of his mouthguard), Shinsou said they made him think of a rabbit, when Izuku shared his design with the hero hopefuls class, but whatever. They're cool. Yonaga said so. They go over his ear, covering the canal, and they can either amplify or filter sounds so that he can pick up quieter noises if needed or mitigate sensory overload.

"Holy shit!" That's Kirishima, half his costume on. He's grinning, sharp teeth flashing in the lights of the locker room. "Your costume's totally badass, man!"

"Thanks!" Izuku grins back. Kirishima's comment has summoned most of the rest of the boys to admire his costume, and Izuku admires theirs right back.

"Stop fawning all over him," Bakugou growls, and Izuku freezes, feeling all the hairs on his neck raise. Bakugou is _right behind him_, he's just _waiting_ for that hand to reach out, grab him right at the junction of his neck and shoulder. "His costume's not even that good."

"Well, yeah, I mean, there's no way anyone's costume can be as cool as yours—" Kaminari begins.

"Bakugou," Kirishima says. "Come on, man. That's not cool."

"Tch." Bakugou sneers. "Whatever."

And then he moves past Izuku, not even touching him. In the past, he would've been pushed aside, shoved into a wall, hot hands on his arms—

But not today.

Today, Bakugou just… steps past him. Kirishima and Kaminari follow him out, bright smiles on their faces.

What the hell just happened?

"Hey, you okay?" Mashirao asks, and Izuku twitches.

"Oh, uh, yeah! Yeah, I'm good," he replies, smiling at the other boy, who frowns, clearly not convinced.

"Listen," Sero says, coming up on his other side, "Bakugou and Kaminari? They're both wrong. Your costume's super cool!"

"Th-thanks," Izuku replies. "We should, we should get going now, though, so we can get to Ground Gamma in time!"

"Yeah, you're right," Sero agrees, smiling back at him. "Let's go!"

As they're walking out, Izuku swears he can hear someone mutter "Iida wouldn't've let that fucking slide, Shouji, you can't tell me he would've let Bakugou get away with that—"

It's Satou, saying that, and all of a sudden, Izuku is struck by a sense of loss. Iida had been Vice Rep, right? What sort of Vice Rep had he been?

He'd never know for himself.

The whole class is gathered at Ground Gamma by the time All Might arrives, sliding in and making a pose. Izuku had… honestly been expecting to be more star-struck by the hero, so he's pleasantly surprised when he's not. Maybe it's the sludge villain incident. Maybe meeting the Number One Hero for the first time while covered in very stinky sludge and being yelled at by a naked and angry man had inoculated him.

"We'll start now. It's hero basic training!" All Might's standing in front of the class now, hands on his hips in a traditional heroic power pose (one that Izuku's emulated many times over the years for a variety of reasons and maybe he's fanboying a little internally, but really, who can blame him?). "Long time no see, students. How've you been?"

He does not wait for a response.

"For today's hero basic training, since you've all just gotten back from your internships, we'll have some fun with a rescue training race!"

Tsuyu raises her hand, and All Might points to her. "Yes, Young Asui?"

"Call me Tsuyu. If we're doing rescue training, wouldn't that happen at the USJ?"

"Ah, that place is for training for disasters!" All Might replies. "Do you remember what I said? That's right, race!"

Oh, come on, at least give them a chance to have a bit of a back-and-forth. If you're asking a question, make it specific and give them a chance to answer it!

"This is Ground Gamma! A dense area filled with factories laid out like an intricate labyrinth. You'll break up into four five—or four—person groups and go through the training group one at a time. When I send out a distress signal from somewhere inside, you'll all start at once from the outskirts of the city! It's a race to see who will rescue me first!" He pauses. "Of course, you need to keep damage to buildings to a minimum." As he says that last part, he slowly points at Bakugou.

"Don't point at me," he growls. The weird thing it, he's not even looking at All Might. He's looking over his shoulder. The change in behavior towards the Symbol of Piece is… logical, and somewhat expected, but it's so.

It's so different.

Bakugou is so different.

"Alright. First group, get in place!"

The first group consists of Bakugou, Sero, Ashido, Mashirao, and Todoroki. Seeing that group, and the lineup of quirks, Izuku nods to himself. Either All Might asked for help with setting up these groups from another teacher (probably Aizawa), or he's a little better at teaching than Aizawa gives him credit for.

Whichever it is, setting all the students with the best mobility-related quirks to go first is a good move and they're _fun_ to watch. Sero comes in first place, with Bakugou just a few seconds behind him. Izuku can see the way the blonde's lips part in a snarl, but Sero just smiles and waves good-naturedly at Bakugou, just as he smiles and waves and tells the other three that they did good jobs.

The next group to go includes Shiozaki, Tokoyami, Yaoyorozu, Satou, and Aoyama. They get into place as the first group gets back. Yaoyorozu is the winner that time, creating a grappling gun and swinging her way across the city a la Sero.

The third group is Shouji, Uraraka, Kouda, Kirishima, and Tsuyu. Tsuyu wins that one, hopping her way up and over and through while the four set to go last start warming up.

That leaves the last group of Jirou, Kaminari, Hagakure, and Izuku. It's anyone's game, really: none of them have any great advantage over the others in the quirk department, not like Tsuyu in the last round.

Izuku gets set up on his platform, giving his arms one last stretch. He's not a parkour master by any stretch of the imagination, but Aizawa and Yonaga had made "how to get from Point A to Point B as fast and safely as possible" an important part of training.

(That had been Aizawa's main responsibility, at first, in his training, and was still solely left to him, considering Yonaga could no longer run across the rooftops without leaving themselves stuck in bed for a week afterwards because they'd aggravated their injuries.)

Then the buzzer sounds, and Izuku is off, freerunning his way through the factories, running along pipes, dodging through and around and leaping over gaps.

It's _fun_. For a moment, he can forget about everything and just focus. Focus on the city underneath his feet. Focus on the grip of his hands on pipes, the flex of his muscles as he pulls himself up, on the power in his legs and the impact up his bones as his soles meet the surface he's running on. The sky's bright, the wind is light, and Izuku's running through the city with light-hearted abandon.

He's the first one there.

"Ah! Congratulations, Young Midoriya!" All Might is holding a sash, the same one Sero and Yaoyorozu and Tsuyu had worn back to the rest of the class. "Good job!"

Izuku grins as he accepts the sash. "Thank you!" He slides it on and keeps an eye out for the others.

Out of them, Jirou is the next to arrive, groaning as she spots Izuku.

"How did I know you were going to get here first?" she asks, and his grin turns just a little feral.

"I told you: I'm here to _win_."

Jirou gives him a sharp smile of her own. "Invoking your declaration of war, huh?"

"What?" All Might mutters.

"Of course," Izuku replies to Jirou. "You didn't think I'd just sit on my hands once I made it to the hero course, did you?"

Jirou snorts and shakes her head. "Don't think the rest of us are taking it any easier."

Kaminari and Hagakure arrive at about the same time.

"Oh, no," Hagakure sighs. "I should've expected this."

"Hey, you did great!" Izuku replies, stepping closer to her and smiling. "You'll get better, for sure!"

"Thanks, Midoriya," she says. The four of them share their good games, and then walk with All Might back to the front of the field, where the rest of the class had gathered.

They spend the rest of class working on maneuvering, both with and without their quirks. All Might calls various students up to work with him in front of the class.

He's just gotten finished with Tsuyu, the last of the students whose quirks help with their maneuverability, and he turns to Izuku.

"Young Midoriya," he says. "You displayed a high level of competence at maneuvering through the city. Would you like to come up and demonstrate first?"

"Oh! Uh, sure, yeah, of course!" he says, jogging forwards.

"Out of curiosity, how long have you been practicing parkour?" All Might asks as Izuku stops next to him.

"Uh," Izuku swiftly counts years in his head. "Three? Three years? Three-ish years."

All Might nods. "I'm not sure there's much that I, personally, can teach you about it, considering I specialized elsewhere! For that matter, would you like to assist me in training some of your classmates? I'm sure that you know more than I do about maneuvering without a quirk that can help you!"

"Oh, yeah, sure!" Izuku grins. "I'm honored that you're asking for my help!"

All Might's laugh is as loud and boisterous in-person as it is in videos. "All right! Now, with that out of the way, why don't you scale up to that roof there and show us all how it's done?"

He can feel Bakugou's glare burning holes in his back, but he knows that the other boy will attempt nothing in front of All Might. With that knowledge tucked away in a little spot of his mind, he cracks his knuckles and stretches his arms over his head as he approaches the wall, taking deliberate, measured steps.

Pausing, he shakes his arms out, and then crouches, exploding into a run and jumping up to reach his first handhold. He doesn't hesitate. Everything about Ground Gamma is fresh, new, shiny, and he can almost certainly trust that it will hold his weight.

He's about three quarters of the way up when his left foot slips. His right foot is in the air, coming up to its next spot, when it happens. A strangled yelp escapes his throat as suddenly all his weight is transferred to his arms. His hands, death gripping the cement ledge he's hanging from, are the only things keeping him from falling.

Of course, instinct screws him over. The instinct to jam all five fingers as hard as he can into the surface he's hanging from, to grip with all his might.

The surface, which is concrete.

Which is concrete, shaped by _Cementoss._

"Ah, _fuck_," he gasps as he feels his quirk activate. The _entire building_ lights up with the red lightning of his quirk, and in the split second before his quirk negates the power that shaped it, he kicks off the wall, putting space between himself and the rapidly reshaping matter. He twists, eyes searching, looking for _anything_ to grab. The moment where he hangs in the air, the power of his leap still stronger than gravity's pull, seems to last forever.

The fall was inevitable. There was nothing for him to catch himself with.

And then, a pair of _VERY LARGE_ arms grab him, catch him.

Ah. Yes. Of course. All Might was _right there_.

All Might's landed, still _cradling_ Izuku in his arms.

"Y'know," Izuku says, panting from a mix of exertion and his near-death _(__nowhere near death, All Might was there the entire goddamn time__)_, "Normally that doesn't happen."

All Might's chuckle sounds a little strained as he sets Izuku down. Izuku stumbles a little, feeling the backlash of using his quirk that much beginning to hit. The fact that his knees are a little wobbly from the sudden hit of adrenaline doesn't help.

The building he _had_ been scaling has been reduced to just a pile of cement blocks and pipes. It was a large building, unlucky for him, the roof he had been directed to climb to attached to a larger, taller part, all in one piece.

"It's lucky Cementoss shapes the buildings individually, because negating the entire ground _might_ just have killed me," he says. His hands are starting to shake, harder, and there's a wonderful headache blooming from behind his eyes.

(_Why_ his quirk strain tends to show itself around his eyes is _beyond_ him, considering his quirk is centered _around his hands_, but whatever.) He reaches up to rub at his temples, hoping to soften the reaction as he takes deeper, slower breaths, trying to calm his racing heart.

"Young Midoriya," All Might says, and Izuku turns to look at him. There's a sharp inhale from the teacher, likely at the appearance of his eyes (they probably look _brilliantly_ bloodshot just about now). "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," he replies, careful not to nod. "Just some quirk backlash. Normally I'm not negating things… _that large_. Or that old, for that matter, it has to have been a couple of years since Cementoss put that there at least, since it definitely felt a little resistant, which is probably why," he groans, "I'm getting a migraine right now. I'll be fine, though, I don't need to see Recovery Girl—my visor and the earpieces are designed to deal with this."

"Very well, then," All Might says. "If you're certain!"

"Yes," Izuku replies.

They have to move to a different building, since Izuku completely wiped out the one they had been using, and he's suffering from the consequences of overusing his quirk so he's not allowed to help with Parkour 101 (which is disappointing. He'd been looking forward to it).

He tries his best to pay attention to the rest of his classmates, but the tiredness that's seeping into his skin and the pain behind his eyes makes that difficult. It's nothing new to him, but that doesn't make it any less annoying. He changes as quickly as he can and walks at the back of the group with Tokoyami, Kouda, Jirou, and Todoroki (aka the _quiet_ squad) on the way back to the classroom.

They still have their seventh-period class to sit through, which is an extension of heroics, working mostly on the academic parts of it, rather than the practical applications.

Today's class is lead by Aizawa, as it tends to be, and functions as a debrief from their internships. Izuku can feel Aizawa's eyes on him the second their teacher enters, cataloguing his appearance and taking in the fact that he's wearing his earplugs and sunglasses (the ones with the white frames that Aomi likes to call the sexy glasses). There Will be an inquisition later, Izuku can feel it.

And there is: Aizawa asks him to stay after he releases the rest of the class. Tsuyu, Uraraka, Tokoyami, Jirou, Yaoyorozu, and Mashirao all say goodbye to him and leave him to his fate (the bastards).

And then, it's just Izuku and his mentor in the classroom.

"What," Aizawa says, "did you _do_."

"I accidentally negated a building."

Aizawa sighs.

**i've also just published a companion one-shot to this story that takes place both concurrently with this chapter and a long time before canon, from Toshinori's POV, so go check that out! it contains the conception of a plotline i just recently decided to add.**

**thank you to everyone who's read, reviewed, faved, and followed!**

**(x-posted on ao3, username: orkestrations)**

**(PLEASE check out the ao3 version, it has a link to a drawing of Izuku's Eclipse costume)**

**(expected update day: Thursday, 16 April)**


	17. bold words for someone who lost

**warnings: iida's death is referenced and mentioned**

Shouta had sent the kid home in the care of his friends, who had waited for him outside the classroom. He's now at his desk, in his office, with his head in his hands, because wow! When the kid said he _negated a building_ he forgot to mention that it was _one of the largest_ and that he had been almost at the top when his _foot slipped_.

In all fairness, Midoriya would have regained his footing and made it the rest of the way if he hadn't accidentally activated his quirk, or if the building was a normal building and not one formed by Cementoss.

Still, though. That was an entire _building_. It's easy, sometimes, to forget how powerful the kid's quirk actually is.

"Hey, Shou, can you—Hey, what's up?"

Ah, there's his husband, right on time to yank him out of his thoughts. He looks up, right at Hizashi.

"The kid," he says, "accidentally negated an entire building."

"WHAT?"

"Voice, Zashi."

"Excuse me. _What?_"

Shouta shakes his head. "They were doing… maneuvering in heroics," he says. "And Midoriya was scaling a building. His foot slipped, and instincts kicked in, and he negated the entire damn thing."

Hizashi whistles. "Wow. He's fine, right?"

"Yes," Shouta nods, reaching a hand up and resting his forehead on it. "He's just dealing with the general backlash of _negating an entire building_."

"Poor kid," Hizashi cringes. "Is he planning on making any changes to his costume to deal with that?"

"Not at the moment." Shouta shakes his head. "It wouldn't have been a problem if it hadn't been one of Cementoss's creations, and he's trained enough now that he can manage his quirk without that. If worse comes to worse, he has tape."

"Fair enough." Hizashi nods.

"So what were you going to ask me to do?" he asks, lifting his head from his hand.

"What was I-? Oh, yeah, here," Hizashi pulls a folder out from under his arm and holds it out to Shouta. "We finally got the right paperwork to excuse Midoriya from my classes. _Again_. It needs your signature, as his current homeroom teacher."

It only takes a few moments to scribble his name everywhere it needs to be and hand the paperwork back to Hizashi. This gives Midoriya a free period every time his classmates have English class, because the kid's already fluent in it. Knowing the kid, he'll probably spend it doing quirk analyses or learning another language or something like that.

Hizashi's just heading back to his own desk when trouble walks in, and by trouble, he means Yagi Toshinori. The man's wearing one of his ridiculously oversized suits and seems to make a beeline right for Aizawa.

"Aizawa," he says. "I apologize for failing to catch you sooner. There was an incident during hero basic training—"

"Midoriya accidentally negated a building, I know," Aizawa replies, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Ah." A pause. "I apologize—"

"What for?" Shouta snaps, looking up at Yagi through his eyelashes. "The only way you could've honestly prevented that was to either be _me_ or have forbidden him from participating. Don't apologize for things that aren't your fault."

"Uh," and now the man looks… unbalanced. "Yes. Of course. Well, then, I will just—"

Shouta cuts him off again. "This was your first class with Midoriya. I want to hear your thoughts." He turns and hooks his foot around the base of Nemuri's currently unoccupied chair, pulling it out. "Have a seat."

"Oh. Well. Okay." Yagi does just that. "I am impressed by his skill with parkour, I will admit. Who's been his trainer for that?"

"Me," Shouta replies. "Yonaga—Longnight—throws in advice occasionally, if we happen to be training somewhere they are. Various undergrounds who have caught us when we've been out later in the day."

Yagi nods. "Ah. I see. Well. He seems to have a handle on it. He never seemed to activate his quirk during the race portion of it."

That _feels_ like a question, so Shouta answers it. "He has solid control over that. The building incident was probably just panic and instinct overwhelming training."

"That makes sense. Outside of his physical abilities, he was supportive and friendly with his classmates and seems, generally, well-liked by all of them, although I caught sight of Young Bakugou glaring at him… multiple times."

Here, Shouta grimaces. "There's _something_ between those two," he says. "There has to be a history there but I have no idea what it is."

Yagi raises an eyebrow. "He hasn't spoken to you about it?"

"No." Shouta shakes his head. "They went to the same elementary and middle schools, according to their paperwork, but Midoriya has never liked talking about how his peers treat him."

Both eyebrows are raised now. "How his peers treat him?"

"For reasons I am not at liberty to share with you, his mother thought it would be best for him to hide his quirk when it came in. He was not well-treated by his classmates as a result of this. It's unlikely he would have been treated well even if he _had_ shown them his quirk."

Yagi's eyebrows inch, impossibly, closer to his hairline.

"Well then," he says. "Then I admire the rapport he's building with his classmates even more."

Shouta shakes his head. "I'm not telling you he was completely friendless and isolated until U.A., because he _did_ have friends, and he's maintained those friendships despite some of them attending different schools."

"Still. To be terribly treated by one's peers, and then have the willingness and ability to reach out to people, even after all that? I admire that greatly," Yagi says, finally leaning back and relaxing. "There was also… after their race, Young Jirou mentioned a _declaration of war_. Do you have any idea what she was referring to?"

Shouta chuckles, shaking his head. "Prior to the Sports Festival, a group of Class B and General Studies students ambushed my class outside their classroom. Midoriya and his friends were part of this group, and he made his declaration of war alongside them."

"Ah." Yagi nods, a smile of his own tugging at the corners of his mouth. "I see. Well, he's keeping to his declaration quite well so far."

"I expect nothing less of him," Shouta agrees, dipping his head. "Anything else?"

"I am looking forward to seeing more of what he can do in future classes," Yagi says, sighing as he stands. Shouta can hear his joints cracking from where he's sitting.

Ugh, and he thought his elbow was in bad shape. All of Yagi's joints seem to be in similar shape.

Izuku approaches Uraraka about a week after the building incident. She's sitting at a table at lunch with Tsuyu, Hagakure, Satou, and Kouda, and Izuku waves at them as he pulls Uraraka away, to an out-of-the-way hallway.

"So," he says, running a hand through his hair. "Everyone's still kind of… down after, well, uh, after Iida. And… I want to do something that might… cheer everyone up for a bit, y'know? And I was thinking about things that might at least take their minds of things. And so I was thinking, you know everyone better than I do so you can tell me if it's a bad idea, right?"

"Right!" Uraraka replies, making fists of her hands and a determined glint entering her ideas. "What are your thoughts? Let's hear 'em!"

"Okay, so," Izuku says, "I'm friends with Roka Aomi, in 1-B. I know she's kinda been wanting to do a, uh, a sort of, group chat raid? Of our chat? And. I don't _think_ that's going to really cheer everyone up but." He groans. "I don't know. I just. I just want to distract everyone, just a little?"

"Oh." Uraraka blinks, leaning back a little. "Yeah, I don't think that's a great idea! Maybe later, though, and I promise that I know nothing, and I won't turn you in to the rest of the class if that _does_ happen. Although…" She frowns as she thinks. "You could… _accidentally_ leave your phone where Roka can get it and maybe she decides to send funny memes to our chat!"

"Or blackmail. We've been having a 'who can come up with the worst selfie' contest for a few days, and she would _definitely_ send some of those."

"Well," Uraraka grins and shrugs oh-so-innocently. "That would certainly cheer people up!"

Izuku sighs.

"You're not ashamed of the selfies _you_ took, are you?"

Izuku approaches Aomi during the break of their training with Isozaki and Kazue a couple days later.

"Hey, I need your help with something," he says.

"Alright." She smiles at him. "What can I do for you?"

"Come with me." He grabs her hand and leads her over to the chair his bag is on, letting go when the get there. He pulls his phone out of the bag. "I… want to cheer everyone in my class up after…" he shrugs. "You know. After our classmate died a week and a half ago."

"Mhm." Aomi nods. "You are certainly not shying away from telling it like it is."

"So what I want you to do," he says, unlocking his phone and handing it over, "is text them, identifying yourself and saying that I… left my phone out and unlocked around you, or something, and you wanted to prank me. _Do not_," he says, glaring at her and poking her breastbone, "add _anyone_ from Class B to the chat, or I swear, I will _never_ help you actually raid it. Okay?"

"Okay," Aomi nods. "How am I pranking you?"

"Send them… the _selfies_."

"Oh. Ohoho. The _selfies_." There's something dark and ravenous in her brown eyes. "Yes, sir."

**_Class 1-EYYYYY_**

**_me_**

_what up it's roka aomi your resident class b trans chick with the water quirk_

_izuku left his phone out and unlocked where i could get it [smiling face with horns]_

_i send these… as a GIFT_

**_Alien Queen~~_**

_Oh, what's this?_

**_me_**

_[selfie]_

_[selfie]_

_[selfie]_

_[selfie]_

_[selfie]_

_these are the best of the bunch, the cream of the crop, the few i can send because HERE HE COMES_

_OH BOY_

_THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES, FAREWELL AND GOODNIGHT_

**_Chargebolt_**

_Did we just become witnesses to a murder?_

**_Alien Queen~~_**

_I wanna talk about those SELFIES oh my god_

_Is that one_

_Is he_

**_sticky boy tape man_**

_He's holding a GOOSE oh I love this_

**_Urarara_**

_Oh. Those sure are some selfies. Wow._

**_[Alien Queen~~ changed Midoriya Izuku's nickname to he's holding a GOOSE]_**

**_Todoroki Shouto_**

_Is that Mr. Aizawa in one of those?_

**_Alien Queen~~_**

_TODOROKI_

_Mr. Aizawa's his uncle, so it makes sense._

**_Chargebolt_**

_TODOROKI_

**_me_**

_Wow! I am going to sure do Something to Aomi!_

**_Alien Queen~~_**

_MIDORIYA_

_TELL ME ABOUT THE GOOSE_

**_me_**

_I wanted to take a selfie with a goose_

_There's not much to tell, honestly_

_I need to go now but I swear that won't happen again! [grinning face with sweat]_

**_Alien Queen~~_**

_NO_

_PLEASE LET THAT HAPPEN AGAIN_

_I need those selfies_

Izuku and his mother's apartment is not exactly wheelchair friendly. It's never needed to be, until now. The building has an elevator, because every building has to have one, but the apartment itself is not accessible.

He and his mother, however, put the work in, rearranging furniture and adjusting things as needed. They get permission to make a ramp in the one spot it's needed.

And so, by early June, out of the hospital and in a freshly wheelchair accessible apartment, Tensei returns for his first 'family dinner' after his injury (and the subsequent death of his brother at the hands of the man who crippled him, and _wow_ if that's not messed up). Everyone, meaning Aizawa, Yamada, Kayama, and Fukukado, makes it a point to attend.

It's a very full apartment with a crowded table, but seeing Tensei there, even with the lines on his face and tension in his shoulders that wasn't there before, makes it so much sweeter.

He doesn't speak much about his injury and recovery prospects until towards the end.

"I've already had the first surgery of… several," he says, leaning back in his chair. "It's a semi-experimental procedure. They're basically attempting to circumvent or replace the damaged nerves. It's similar to some of the procedures for limb replacement that already exist, just more complicated because it's the spinal cord they're working with rather than a limb."

"Well, I hope everything goes well for you," Izuku's mom says, and that's that.

Shouta, Hizashi, and Nemuri are invited over to the Iida house for dinner. Since his injury (and his younger brother's death), Tensei's moved back in with his mothers and grandmother.

_"Just for now," Tensei says, with a smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes._

Tenri is the one who opens the door when they knock, her short blue hair as well-groomed as ever. That's good. That's very good. Shouta can remember the first couple weeks, right after Tensei's injury, right after Tenya's _death_, and she hadn't been keeping her hair smooth _then._

"It's good to see you three," she says, stepping forward to hug Hizashi, Nemuri, and then Shouta. "I'm glad you could make it."

"Of course!" Nemuri replies, the first of the three to step inside when Tenri steps aside. Shouta's last, nodding at the woman as she closes the door.

The other three it should be four there _used_ to be four Iidas are already in the dining room. Tenko is sat in her place at the head of the table, her iron grey hair pulled back in a French braid. Even in the worst of times, even when it had seemed like her family had been falling apart around her, Shouta had never seen Tenko wear her hair in any way but that braid.

Next to her sits Tensei, paperwork spread out on the table in front of him. He's filling it out with a black pen while Chimiko carries food to the table. She's still wearing her workshop clothes, charcoal smeared in streaks on her face where she'd reached up to tuck stray locks of hair back behind her ears, where they belonged.

Between Tenri and Chimiko, Chimiko is the one the boys take after, with her broad shoulders, dark, straight hair, and strong features. The blue tone of their hair, their quirks, and their height all come from Tenri, though, as does the name Ingenium itself.

(A name which Tenri inherited from Tenko when she'd graduated, a name she'd passed on to Tensei when he'd graduated, and a name Tensei had been planning to pass to Tenya, except _now that'll never happen_-)

They all sit. Tensei takes all his paperwork, organizes it, stacks it, sets it aside.

"What were you working on there?" Nemuri asks, leaning forward and resting her elbows on the table.

Tensei sighs.

"It's for my agency," he replies. "Originally, I was thinking of stepping back, staying on the administration side of things, let Tenya have the name, but." He swallows. "Well. That's not happening. Now, maybe I get my legs back, maybe I don't. But I just can't let Ingenium die, not after three generations."

"We already told him we'd be okay with him retiring the name," Tenri says, a soft smile on her lips and a sadness in her golden eyes.

"And I've already said that's not what I want to do," Tensei replies, his eyes burning with… something. Determination? Anger? Grief? "I want continue carrying on the family legacy, for as long as I can. Not just because it's the family legacy, but because I can _save_ people. I can save people from going through what we have, from going through what Tenya did—I. I can help other kids. Like. Like him. Who may be… Who may be hurting." Tensei pauses, taking deep breaths. He licks his lips before continuing. "I don't want to let another kid die in the pursuit of revenge."

The group is quiet, the moment ringing around them, the strength of Tensei's conviction carrying his words for longer than he spoke them.

Shouta's the first to speak. "If there's anything I can do to help, just let me know."

"Yeah, me too!" Hizashi adds.

"There… is one thing," Tensei says. "Shouta, you have the youngest Todoroki in your class, right?"

"That's correct."

"Keep an eye on him," Tensei sighs, reaching up and rubbing a hand over his face. "He was the one who—he was the one who found them, found Tenya and Native."

Shouta can feel the blood drain from his face. "Why do they never think it's important to tell me these things?" he hisses.

Tenko huffs. "We all know the boy's father has some wild ideas about strength and power."

"That's one way of putting it," Tenri agrees, nodding pleasantly.

"Come on, there's nothing wrong with ambition," Nemuri rolls her eyes. "Or competitiveness! The hero field _thrives_ off competition."

"Not all of it," Shouta replies. The limelight heroes, maybe, but that was only a portion of the industry.

"Yeah, yeah, the Underground, support and rescue heroes, yadda, yadda, yadda, we've heard it all before," Nemuri says.

"Yes, and he has a point," Tenri says. She pauses to gesture at him and Nemuri with her chopsticks. "The field of pro heroics could benefit from less competition and more cooperation."

"That's another thing I want to do," Tensei piggy-backs off his mother's point. "Stain wouldn't be able to target pros the way he does if we patrolled in pairs more often. I want to do what I can to move the field more cooperative."

"You're already doing something great with Idaten," Chimiko points out. "All the heroes you have working under you are notably more cooperative than heroes at other agencies."

Tensei shudders. "I know."

Oh, there are horror stories that could be told about _many_ agencies, not just Endeavor's.

The conversation continues forward, falling down the well-worn paths of competition v. cooperation in the heroics industry and the benefits and drawbacks of both. Nemuri is, as always, _very_ outnumbered, but she makes up for it in the exuberance of her arguments—ones that everyone else has definitely heard before. Occasionally, Hizashi chips in on her side, throwing in for the other limelight hero of the bunch.

That dinner is…

It's good.

It's nice to see the Iida family healing.

Final exams loom ever closer. Izuku keeps his notes neat, and he studies with Mashirao, Jirou, Tokoyami, and Shouji twice a week in the library after school.

Still, he can't help but feel the grasp of anxiety when Aizawa announces they have a week left until the exams.

"Ooohhh, I'm so screwed," Mina says, throwing herself over Kaminari's desk. "I've barely studied, with everything going on! It's just been one thing after another! I'm never making it to the training camp!"

Mashirao sighs. "Ashido, the internships were over a month ago."

"Well, _yeah_, but there's been a lot happening since then, too!"

Kaminari, for his part, sighs. "I know! I am but a simple dumbass, for now and forever. I'm going to fail."

"No, you're not!" Yaoyorozu speaks up from the back, standing up. "I'll help you study!"

Ashido and Kaminari both bolt out of their seats and over to Yaoyorozu. "Would you?" they ask. Kaminari is leaning forward with his hands on her desk, while Ashido is on her knees next to Yaoyorozu, her hands clasped in front of her chest.

"Uh, yes, of course! That's why I offered," she replies, clasping her own hands in front of her. "Does anyone else want to study with us?"

"Me," Jirou says, getting up out of her seat and walking over to Yaoyorozu's desk.

Izuku looks up at her, eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "…But you've been studying with me?"

"Alas," Aoyama projects his voice from the other corner of the room, "I believe Miss Jirou has an ulterior motive for wanting to study with Miss Yaoyorozu!"

"Couldn't you use some help studying, Aoyama?" Tsuyu asks, and Aoyama slowly, deliberately turns his head.

"_Excuse moi_?"

"You _were_ ranked eighteenth on the midterms," Mashirao agrees. "You might want to get in with that study group, too."

"Hm." Aoyama sniffs and turns his nose up. Meanwhile, Sero and Satou have both joined the Yaoyorozu study group, crowding around hers (and by extension, Izuku and Tokoyami's) desk in the back of the room.

That day, Uraraka and Tsuyu join Izuku's usual lunch group. All the 1-A students are grouped at one end of the table, discussing the final exams.

"I'm feeling confident about the written portion," Izuku says. "But the practical? I'm not sure what it could be, other than it'll probably be something comprehensive of everything we've learned this term." He sighs. "Ashido's already asked me if Mr. Aizawa's told me anything."

"She should know better by now," Tsuyu says. Next to her, Uraraka shrugs.

"I think she's just doing it mostly as a joke now," she says. "The way we all scream at Todoroki when he actually messages the group chat, you know?"

Tokoyami nods. "That fits my understanding of what she seems to be doing, as well."

"Yeah, but it's getting kinda old," Izuku sighs. "Anyways, thinking about the exams, we'll have to be studying as well as keeping physically fit, so—"

He's cut off as an elbow hits the back of his head.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Your head was so big I accidentally hit it!"

"_What_," Jirou asks, flatly.

"Oi, Monoma, screw off!" Aomi yells from the other end of the table.

"Eh? What are you all doing sitting here with 1-A?"

"We're eating lunch," Yamazaki snaps. "Now go away."

"Oh, and there are _General Studies_ students here, too? What are you all doing here? I thought you _hated_ 1-A." Monoma turns towards Shinsou, whose mouth is drawing into a thin line.

"They're my friends," Izuku says, turning to Monoma. "Please leave us alone."

"Oh, are you expecting me to just bow to your wishes like you're—"

"Hey, Monoma!" someone shouts, shoving his shoulder. "Leave them alone!"

That's Kendou, the 1-B Class Rep. She's recently cut her hair into a short, messy pixie cut. Her arrival is enough to shut up Monoma, who crosses his arms and looks away with a pout.

"I heard you talking about what the practical part of your final exam will be," she says. "and that you don't know. As far as I can tell, it'll be combat against robots, like in the entrance exam!"

"What? Really? How do you know?" Izuku asks, sitting up a little straighter in his seat.

"An upperclassmen friend of mine kind of told me," she says, her smile turning self-conscious. "It's kind of cheating, though."

"No, it's not cheating," Izuku says, blinking twice. "I'm sure—information gathering ahead of time _has_ to be part of the test. I should've thought to ask an upperclassman, too."

"Are you an idiot, Kendou?" Monoma asks. "We had an information advantage! We could've finally beat the detestable Class A!"

"They're not detestable," Kendou replies, shaking her head. "Come on, Monoma, let's go. If I miss lunch because I'm babysitting you around the 1-A students the entire time, I will _not_ be happy." She hooks her arm around Monoma's and leads him off, the group at Izuku's table watching her go.

"Ah, that's Big Sis Kendou," Aomi says, leaning back in her seat to watch. "She's the _only one_ who can keep Monoma in line, and that's just because he's terrified she'll chop him again."

"Huh," Izuku says. "That's useful information. Oh, I didn't even manage to thank her for telling us about the exam—but will it really be robots?" he frowns. "It definitely seems like something Mr. Aizawa would do, to arrange to make it seem like it will be one kind of test when it's actually another…"

"Oh, no," Jirou groans. "_Midoriya_. Don't do this to me."

"Sorry! I just…" he shrugs. "Can't really help it! That's _really_ something he'd do!"

"I know," Tsuyu agrees. "That's what makes it worse."

Uraraka tells the rest of the class about the robots.

"Oh, we're saved!" Kaminari says, throwing his hands in the air. "If it's robots, I can just let loose! I won't have to worry about control like I would against people!"

"And I can melt right through them!" Ashido agrees.

"_Idiots_," Bakugou snarls, and every eye in the classroom turns to him. "It doesn't matter if it's robots or people. If you need to control your quirks, then control your quirks!"

Ashido and Kaminari both look, frankly, terrified.

"As for the rest of you," he sweeps his eyes over the rest of the class, "I'm going to beat you all. We're getting individual ranks, and I _will_ come in first. There will be no _flukes_ like what happened at the Sports Festival." Here, he glares at Shouji and Tsuyu.

A fluke.

He's calling the effort, the hard work that Shouji and Tsuyu and Yamazaki put in during the cavalry battle a _fluke_!?

"Hey!" Izuku's on his feet before he even realizes what he's doing. "What are you doing, calling the efforts of everyone during the cavalry battle a _fluke_? It wasn't a _fluke_, it wasn't _luck_, it was skill and strategy and _effort_. Who are you to act like that's _nothing_?" Something clenches in his chest. He's _burning_, oh he's burning up and his hands are tightened into fists at his side.

"It _was_ nothing," Bakugou growls, taking steady steps towards Izuku, who fought the reflex to shrink, to wilt away and let Bakugou have this. He couldn't let him put down the efforts that every one of his friends had made to secure that win. "It _was_ luck that any of you extras could even manage to get close to me!"

Shouji steps in front of Bakugou, blocking him from advancing any closer to Izuku. "Bakugou," he says. "I don't like the way you're talking down to us. You're going to have to realize, sooner or later, that we are all your equals here, before you burn bridges that won't be rebuilt."

Bakugou bares his teeth, his upper lip curling into a sneer. "I'll call you my equals if you _show_ me you are."

"Those are bold words for someone who lost the cavalry battle."

Everyone turns to Todoroki, who's standing at the front of the room with a blank expression.

"Hey, didn't you lose the battle, too?" Ashido points out.

"He's not the one _insulting_ the rest of us, though," Jirou replies. She's glaring at Bakugou, now, her jacks twisting and untwisting around each other in front of her chest.

"I didn't _lose_," Bakugou snarls, turning and stalking towards Todoroki. "I _don't_ lose."

"Funny," Todoroki replies, his blank expression still there. "Because that sure looked like losing to me."

"Listen here, you Icy-hot bastard," Bakugou snarls. His hands are starting to crackle, but they're still at his sides, thankfully. "That was not me _losing_. That was those fucks scraping by on _luck_. If they'd faced me head-on in a _real_ fight, there's no way I would've lost."

"Hm." Todoroki says. He blinks, once. "If you say so."

Kirishima appears, saving the day. "Maybe we should go study," he says, stepping up next to Bakugou. There's one moment more, where Bakugou and Todoroki are staring each other down, before Bakugou huffs and turns to stalk from the room, Kirishima tagging along behind him with a sheepish expression on his face.

The room is quiet for several long moments.

"Well," Yaoyorozu breaks the silence, "that was something. Kaminari, Ashido, Sero, Jirou, Satou, we should probably get going now, huh?"

"Yeah!" Ashido cheers. "Let's do this!"

Three days of written exams have passed, and now it's time for the practical. The whole class is waiting outside the Center Plaza of the Practical Exam Area, dressed in their hero costumes, waiting for their teacher.

Or, well.

Teacher_s_.

Seven of their teachers—Ectoplasm, Cementoss, Snipe, Present Mic, Aizawa, Thirteen, and Midnight—exit the doors of the exam center. That is… a _lot_ of teachers for an exam that should just be fighting robots.

"Now, we will begin the practical exam. Of course, it is possible to fail it. If you want to go to the training camp, then don't make stupid mistakes."

There's a pause, and Izuku can hear someone whisper something about the number of teachers there.

"I expect you all have gathered information ahead of time, and have some idea of what you will be doing."

"We'll be fighting robots, like in the entrance exam!" Kaminari bursts out.

Kaminari and Ashido are allowed a couple moments of exaltation before… Is Aizawa's _scarf _moving?

"For various reasons, the exam will be different starting this time!"

Oh.

Oh, that's the _principal_ that just popped out of Aizawa's scarf.

…It's probably pretty cozy in there, actually.

"From now on, we want to focus on person-to-person combat and hero work," he says as he climbs down the end of the scarf to the ground, "and stress teaching that is closer to actual fighting!"

"So," he says, leaning forward, "we'll have you form teams of two—and one team of three—to fight against one teacher!"

"Against… the teachers?" Uraraka says, sounding horrified.

"The pairs and their opponent have already been decided," Aizawa says. "These were determined at my discretion based on various factors, including fighting styles, grades, and interpersonal relationships. So, here they are: First, Shiozaki and Yaoyorozu are a team, and they will be facing me."

Wow, he doesn't have to look so damn sadistic as he says that.

"Next, Todoroki and Bakugou are a team. And their opponent will be:"

Aizawa stops speaking, and then All Might drops out of the sky, landing in front of the two boys.

"I will be your opponent," he says. "Work together to beat me, you two!"

Neither of them look happy to be stuck together.

"Third, Kirishima and Satou against Cementoss."

The two boys share a look and a grin. "We've got this!" Kirishima holds his fist out for Satou to bump.

"Tsuyu and Tokoyami against Ectoplasm."

As teams are called, the class splits so that partners can find each other. Tsuyu and Tokoyami don't speak as they approach each other, but they do share a nod.

"Fifth, Aoyama and Uraraka against Thirteen."

"Let's do our best!" Uraraka cheers next to Aoyama, who just twinkles and smiles like he knows everything that will happen next.

"Then Ashido and Kaminari against Nedzu."

Oh, wow, those two look… very horrified.

"Jirou and Kouda against Present Mic."

Present Mic's smile grows just a little bigger while Jirou and Kouda find each other. Bakugou and Todoroki, although they're standing near each other, still look like they'd rather be partnered with (almost) anyone but each other.

"Eighth, Shouji, Ojiro, and Hagakure against Snipe."

The one team of three finds each other, waving and smiling as they do. Well, maybe Shouji and Hagakure are smiling, Izuku can't tell with them, but Mashirao is.

"Midoriya and Sero against Midnight."

Oh.

Oh no.

That is a vicious look on Midnight's face, and apart from pairing him against Aizawa, quite possibly the _worst_ matchup for him.

"You look like we just got handed a death sentence," Sero says, and Izuku whips around to give the taller boy the most reassuring smile he can.

"It'll be okay!" he says. "We'll figure it out, for sure!"

"The time limit for the exam is thirty minutes!" Nedzu says, drawing attention back to him. "Your objective is either to put these handcuffs on the teacher," he holds up said cuffs, "or to have one of you escape from the stage!"

"Capture the teacher or escape," Kaminari murmurs. "It really is like the combat training!"

"Hey, Mr. Nedzu, is it really okay to run away?" Ashido asks, raising her hand beside him.

"Yes!" Nedzu gives her a thumbs-up.

"But it'll be different from the combat training!" Present Mic says. "You'll be up against someone waaaayyy better than you!"

"Better than us?" Jirou says. "I can't really imagine it, though."

Oof, that one hits Present Mic right in the ego.

"This time, your exam will be very similar to a real battle!" Thirteen's turn to give information. "Please think of us as villains."

"Assuming you come across the enemy, if you think you can win a fight against them, then that's fine. However…" Snipe passes the metaphorical baton back to Aizawa.

"In cases where there's too big a difference in your abilities, it would be smarter to run away and get help."

"That's right! Your decision-making skills are being tested. But with these rules, you're probably thinking your only choice is to run, right? That's why we had the support course make these for us!" All Might pulls… _something_ out of his belt. Weights? Are those weights?

"Ultra-compressed weights!" Present Mic confirms for Izuku.

"We'll put on about half our body weight," All Might says as the teachers begin putting them on. "It's to give us a handicap. It's old-fashioned, but it makes it hard to move and eats up our stamina!"

"To allow us to _consider_ fighting you, huh?" Bakugou says. "You're underestimating us."

All Might laughs. "I wonder."

"Alright," Aizawa says, drawing attention back to him. "All teams will go simultaneously. Your fights will be recorded, and we will review them as a class in the remaining days of the term."

"Each team, follow your designated opponent to your stage!" Midnight says, raising her arm above her head as the teachers turn and enter the center.

"So," Sero says, leaning towards Izuku. The two of them follow Midnight at a distance. "You have any ideas? I have a couple, if you want to hear them."

"Well, first, I'd like to state for the record that we stand almost no chance of fighting," Izuku says, shuddering. "This is… actually…" he frowns. "It's actually not as bad as I was first thinking. We both have ranged capabilities, you with your tape and me with my guns."

"You can't be allowed to have real bullets in there, can you?" Sero asks.

"No, I'm not," Izuku replies, pulling one gun out and handing it over. "This one has darts containing a synthetic neurotoxin designed to cause numbness and immobility. The other one has paint rounds."

"Oh, wow, that's neat," Sero says, handing the gun back. "So, I just have to distract her so you can shoot her with a dart?"

"…It's not that simple," Izuku replies, shaking his head. "Firstly: she's expecting something like that. Also, I need to hit exposed skin."

"…Damn," Sero says. "How about you distract her while I tape her up and then we cuff her?"

"Yeah, but there's still her—oh, oh I am an _idiot_," Izuku shakes his head. "I forgot about my quirk!" He hisses this last part as Midnight strides over to them.

"Alright, boys," she says, grinning at them. "Let's head on in."

"Can you walk, like, ten meters ahead of us?" Sero asks, and Midnight chuckles.

"Oho, you want more time to plot, hm? Is that it? What if I said no?"

"Then I will be very sad and disappointed, and I'll tell my mom you were unfair to me," Izuku replies. "She won't let you have any cookies the next time she makes them."

Midnight clicks her tongue. "What a dastardly threat," she says, shaking her head. "Alright. Fine. But only because you threatened cookie privileges." She points a censuring finger at him. "Don't go getting any big ideas in your head that you can order me around!"

They wait until she's ahead before Sero turns to Izuku.

"Dude, why is your mom such a good threat against all our teachers?"

"Only a few of them," Izuku hisses back, "and please don't tell anyone else, especially not Ashido."

"Alright, man. Now, what about your quirk?"

"I can use it on _myself_," Izuku replies, "and Midnight's gas won't have any effect on me, I think—oh, wow, I am a bigger idiot than I thought I was." He glances at Midnight, who's still walking purposefully forwards, leading them through the synthesized hilly terrain. She's not looking back at them, although he does see her glance over her shoulder once, to make sure they're still following. When she's really not looking, he points at his mouthguard. "I can use this."

Sero frowns. "That'll filter the air?"

Izuku nods. "You should really think about getting one in your helmet, too. Anyways, using this, I can make my way through her gas and distract her—"

"While I sneak around back and tape her!"

Izuku's eyes flick towards Midnight and back again.

"Yeah," he says. "Essentially, that."

"Alright, boys!" Midnight calls back. "Here's your spot!"

They jog forward and stop where she tells them to.

"I'll see you soon!" she calls. Izuku watches her walk off.

"I should consider getting a filter in my mask," Sero mutters, and Izuku nods.

"You really should," he agrees. "I am _really_ wondering why Mr. Aizawa paired me up with you and Midnight, anyways." He shrugs. "I guess I can ask about that later."

"Yeah, probably!" Sero agrees. "Hey, you said something about using your quirk on yourself. Could you use it on me, before we go in?"

Izuku shakes his head. "No, unfortunately. I can only pre-emptively use it on myself. I could negate it after you get hit with it, but not before."

"Oh, okay," Sero says. "I'll just… not need it, then!"

Both boys jump as the intercom clicks on.

**_"Final Examination: Midoriya Izuku and Sero Hanta versus Midnight. Ready! Start!"_**

**oof this chapter is a little rougher written than i remember it being. it may be subject to a rework at a later point in time.**

**i might consider writing the Shiozaki and Yaoyorozu, Bakugou and Todoroki, and Hagakure, Shouji, and Mashirao finals if there's enough demand? all the ones that are the same pairs as canon go as they do in canon, so there's no convincing me to rehash those lmao but if people really want to see the other final exams i may write them.**

**if you haven't read the prequel oneshot i posted, ****_the young, the innocent, the righteous_****, then please go do! it's Toshinori's POV and features him and Nana and Nana's parents and I love them. it has some... backstory in it, that will be important, eventually.**

**thank you to everyone for reading, and special appreciation to everyone who reviews! thank you for your faves and follows!**

**(YES i named my Iida matriarch Tenko NO i don't regret it one single bit)**

**(x-posted on ao3, username: orkestrations)**

**(expected update day: Sunday, 19 April)**


	18. these kids are giving me grey hairs

**warnings: firearms (mentioned)**

The moment he hears the call for them to begin, Izuku clicks his mouthguard into place over his mouth and nose and taps a button on his earpiece. He's only worn it a few times, enough to check it fits right and seals correctly and to get used to wearing it. The sound of his breath against it still seems strange. The button's purpose? Keeping track of their time.

"She's probably placed herself between us and the exit gate in order to make it as hard as possible to get through," Izuku says. "You wait until she's distracted with me, and then sneak through."

"Are you sure?" Sero asks. "We could go for the capture."

"We could," Izuku agrees, nodding, "but I want to be _sure_ of our pass."

"Fair enough," Sero says. "What do we do if she notices me, though?"

"Then I shoot her."

"…Okay, that works." Sero nods, lowering the faceplate on his helmet with a click. "Let's do this!" His grin is infectious, and Izuku feels the thrum of confidence in his chest.

"Yeah!" He holds his fist up, and Sero bumps it. "We should split up—you go the long way around, and I'll head straight to the gate."

"Got it." Sero nods. He heads off to the left as Izuku jogs forward. Despite the confidence, there's a twinge of doubt—with the way the soles of his boots are made with a specialized material to absorb the sound of his footsteps along with the darker color scheme of his costume, Izuku is the one of the two who's more specialized to stealth.

He shoves that thought down. They have a plan now. They need to follow it.

The battle ground their practical is taking place in is set up like some sort of badlands, with rock outcroppings in brilliant red-orange hues cut up by gravel-filled ephemeral streams. The exit gate is situated at the lowest elevation in the field, so as Izuku creeps around a ridge, he can see the cloud of lilac-colored gas filling the field, shimmering in the light of the artificial sun.

…Fuck. He activates the comm link they were given.

"Sero? Midnight's flooding the field with her quirk."

There's no response. Izuku waits thirty seconds before trying again. "Sero?"

Still no response.

…Shit. How did Sero get taken out so early? Or did he take the comm link out for some reason? What _happened_? Izuku's fingers press into the surface of the rock he's peering around, so hard a twinge of pain shoots up them, and he loosens up, instead running them over the gritty surface.

(Not all of them, he has his pinky fingers raised because he doesn't know how this ground was built and he's _not_ risking negating it.)

So. He's effectively on his own for this. Maybe he can find Sero and negate the effects of Midnight's quirk on him, but he probably stands a bigger chance of passing for both of them if he uses the cover of Midnight's quirk and sneaks through to the gate.

…_Wait_. _Why_ would Midnight discharge her quirk like that, in a way that obscures her vision, against a student she _knows_ has trained in stealth under one of the best stealth heroes in the Underground?

She _wouldn't_, unless there was a catch.

…Does she know he has an air filter in his mouthguard? Probably. Highly likely: he should move forward as if she does.

So, if she knows he has an air filter in his mouthguard and he's trained in stealth, why would she flood the field with her quirk?

His right hand comes up to twirl a curl around his index finger as he takes in the field. There are a couple of options: the aerosol produced by her quirk could be so small it makes it through most air filters, it could just be so strong it could overwhelm air filters, or, and the most likely option…

She can sense disturbances in it.

It's not outside the realm of possibility. There was that one smoke villain a few years ago who could do something like that with the smoke they produced. It's also likely that an aspect of her quirk like that has been deliberately kept secret, similarly to how Aizawa keeps his identity out of the media as much as possible.

So, if she can sense disturbances in the aerosol, how fine-tuned is it?

Y'know, on second thought, it's probably incredibly fine-tuned. So no ploys involving throwing rocks.

He glances back down at the cloud of her quirk and, fuck, he's running out of time, both on the clock and to take action. Her quirk is only further proliferating the field as time goes on.

…Can he negate an aerosol?

Doubtful. He can try, but that shouldn't be his Plan A. But… what _should_ be his Plan A?

He checks the clock on his HUD. Barely five minutes of his time has elapsed, but that's five minutes too many.

Think.

_Think_.

Midnight, for all her limelight aspirations, is naturally a stealth fighter. Her style is incredibly similar to Aizawa's—get the drop on her enemies, knock them out, move on. She's rarely ever seen participating in long fights, considering that using her quirk is often an automatic win, unless her enemies are prepared for it. And Izuku _is_ prepared for it.

So what are her win conditions now?

Well, win condition one is running out the clock on him. That's the ultimate win condition, which she can do several ways: damaging his visor so her quirk gets through (unlikely, plus he has Negation), damaging his mouthguard (even less likely), getting him turned around in the fog of her quirk, restraining him (handcuffs are a standard part of her kits, as is rope), or knocking him out another way (the least likely option—they're probably not going to risk giving the students concussions).

Izuku, on the other hand, has two win conditions: cuffing one limb of her with the cuffs attached to his belt, or get through the gate. He probably stands a higher chance of making it to the gate, if he can enter the fog from an odd enough angle and make his way through it fast enough to avoid her catching him.

Although, that fog is pretty thick, and he hardly has this arena memorized.

So, maybe making it to the gate is less likely. That leaves cuffing Midnight, which will be _impossible_ to do by stealth if she really can sense disturbances in her aerosol.

Maybe he doesn't need to do it by stealth, though. She's not an endurance fighter, plus she's wearing those weights. If he's judging it right, he'll have the upper hand in a drawn-out fight, especially while she's weighted down.

Half a plan in his head, he slinks forward. Seven minutes. He might have just failed himself, if he doesn't have enough time to tire her out. He'll creep into the fog, like he's trying to tiptoe his way through without her noticing, and wait for her to try and get the drop on him.

And, well, if she _can't_ actually sense disturbances in her aerosol (unlikely, so, so unlikely), then he'll just make it out that way.

He's making his way down gravel, so he steps carefully. He needs to move fast, but also, he doesn't want to give away his position. He'll be giving it up the second he enters the fog (probably) but in the case of that _not_ being what happens, he doesn't want to deliberately give it up.

Nine minutes are gone and he's half a meter away from the edge of the lilac mist. He reaches behind his back with his left hand and pulls his compressed staff off his belt. A flick of his wrist has it extending to its full length with an almost-silent hiss and click, and he sends a mental blessing to the support department for doing such a good job with it.

With his staff gripped in both hands, he steps into the fog. It swirls around him, shimmering and glinting. Visibility is barely a couple meters and he reaches up to turn the dial on his earpiece all the way up. An indicator pops up on his screen, right underneath the timer, reading _10_. He winces at the next step he takes, the amplifier making it sound so much louder—he has to remind himself that it's not actually that loud, his earpieces are just making is _seem_ like he's stomping around without restraint.

Ten and a half minutes, and he hears someone else's footsteps. They're too light by far to be Sero's, not that Sero would still be _conscious_ this far into the fog. He grips his staff in both hands, waiting, waiting—

He darts to the side as the bullwhip cracks, sounding like the report of a gun in his ears. He lets go of his staff to turn the dial down, indicator reading _3_.

The whip cracks again, this time a much more manageable, if still amplified, sound. Izuku dodges again, this time on the diagonal. He needs to get closer. He's not going to win an endurance contest if he's the only one dodging.

A couple more steps has Midnight coming into view, her lips curled in an excited smile. She makes one more strike with the whip before giving it up for her baton. Her support engineers are just as good as the ones who made Izuku's staff, her whip automatically curling up around her waist as she pulls the baton out of its holster, whipping it out to its full length with a clack.

"So you decided to fight me," she purrs, and Izuku makes the first strike, dashing in and striking at her knees. He doesn't reply, sweeping up with his staff to catch her baton on it even as he misses his initial attack.

They trade blows back and forth, and Izuku—he matches her hit for hit. She doesn't overreach, she doesn't leave any obvious openings, she doesn't telegraph her moves, she has none of the obvious mistakes he can exploit, but still—he matches her, consistently blocking her baton and dodging her kicks and any strikes she makes with her left hand. He uses a style he doesn't normally use, one that doesn't come naturally to him: he stands his ground. He doesn't duck and weave around her. He blocks what he can, dodges what he needs to, and lets her make the moves.

She's the only one who engages in shit-talking, too. There's nothing Izuku can say to get to her—at least, nothing he cares to say that will be recorded and reviewed in-class.

His eyes flick up to the clock on his HUD. Fifteen minutes down, fifteen to go. He blocks low then high then to the right as Midnight strikes, moving fluidly from one block to the next.

"You're not going to strike back? Awfully odd tactic…" She dances backwards, so Izuku presses forward. He's not about to let her catch her breath or get distance on him, although theoretically he out-distances her if he has the sightlines… Which he does not have, in this fog.

He _could_ try pulling out his dart gun and knocking her out that way, but she has that damn fake mask which doesn't actually protect her eyes so he can't aim at her face, _the only place she has exposed skin_, without worrying about shooting her fucking eye out. So. That option's out.

She keeps stepping back so he continues to press forward. He's now the one making the offensive moves, jabs with the ends of his staff at the sides of her knees, her stomach, her neck. Careful, he needs to be careful: she could be trying to lead him somewhere, she might be biding her time, just like him.

Eighteen minutes. His hair is sticking to his forehead and she's red in the face, her own bangs plastered across her forehead and sweat dripping down the side of her face.

They're both slowing down. She strikes with her left hand, and her fist is slow. He bats it aside with his staff and moves to block her kick—

Her kick, which is also slow. He catches her ankle with his staff and pulls, sending her stumbling off-balance as he flips his left hand on the staff and throws himself forward, driving his elbow into her back with all his weight behind it.

They both go down. She yelps as her chin cracks on the ground and he presses his knee into her back, left hand letting go of the staff and reaching to pull the cuffs off his belt and hook one ring around her left arm in one smooth motion.

The timer on his visor reads eighteen minutes and thirty seconds.

**_"Team Midoriya and Sero: pass!"_**

Both of them remain where they are, his knee on her back and her face pressed into the ground, for a couple breaths until he stands. Both of them are breathing hard and he can feel sweat running down the side of his face. There's no relief for him yet: he can't take off his visor or mouthguard until he's out of the fog of her quirk unless they want to be pulling two unconscious students from the stage…

Although, he can't like, a long nap sounds _really_ good.

"Damn, kid," she says as she sits up. There's a gash on her chin oozing blood and scuffs on her cheek from the ground. "That was impressive. You really drew that fight out."

"It was only seven minutes," he replies.

She raises her eyebrows. "And you know this how?"

"Timer." He taps his visor. "I was keeping track."

"Oh? And how long did it take, total?"

"About eighteen minutes and thirty seconds," he replies, shrugging. "It's not perfectly exact."

She chuckles, and it's a little breathless. "You did a damn good job. Your teachers have done good with you."

"You're one of them." He smiles as he nudges her arm with the end of his staff. She won't see it on his mouth, but she sees it in his eyes, and smiles back. He holds a hand out to her, and she takes it, letting him haul her to her feet.

"You don't look hurt, but I'm sure Recovery Girl wants to see you. Let's go get Sero and then we'll head her way, yeah?" She puts her hand on his shoulder and he nods, flicking his wrist to retract his staff and tucking it back in its spot on his belt before following her off to where she left Sero.

Shouta groans, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"These kids," he says, "are giving me grey hairs."

"Good," Nemuri says, her lips curling into a vicious, sadistic smirk. "It's about time." She herself has silver hairs showing up at her temples, while Shouta's hair has remained as dark as the day he was born.

He's not someone who takes pride in his appearance by nature, but this? As long as it irritates Nemuri, it's something he'll at least _act_ like he likes.

"I understand why we revised Young Sero's pass," Yagi says, drawing the attention of the room back to him, "but why are we reconsidering Young Bakugou and Young Todoroki's passes? The win conditions were met, if in a… less than smooth way."

"No," Shouta's voice is dry. "Tokoyami and Asui's win was less than smooth. Midoriya's win was less than smooth. Most of their wins, honestly, were less than smooth. Bakugou and Todoroki's? Was abysmal. Do you remember why I paired those two together?"

"So they could learn to work together, despite—oh."

"Yeah," Shouta says, "_oh_."

"There wasn't a lick of teamwork there at all," Hizashi agrees. "I'd be tempted to argue in favor of giving Todoroki the pass—if he had even _attempted_ to assist Bakugou!"

"You can see he attempts to reach out and communicate at the beginning, though," Thirteen says. "Doesn't that count for something?"

Shouta chews on that thought a little, his brow furrowing. "It does," he says. "I agree. Ken? Snipe? What do you think?"

"I agree with Thirteen," Ken says, setting his hands on the table in front of him and lacing his fingers together. "Todoroki made an attempt to work together with Bakugou. When he saw that attempt fail, he made a decision to cut his losses and go for help rather than try to make something work that _wouldn't_."

"What he said," Snipe grunts, jerking his chin towards Ken. "You know those two better than any of us do, though."

Shouta nods. "I see your points. While I would have liked to have seen Todoroki further attempt to work with or support his teammate, he is _also_ already familiar with that teammate and his… tendencies. Perhaps we'll have to run the same exercise at some point next term, and pair up one student from Class A and one student from Class B together and see what he does with a partner he doesn't know as well."

"That would be a valuable exercise," Thirteen agrees.

"So. Todoroki: pass, Bakugou: Fail?" Hizashi asks, and Shouta nods.

"Yes."

"So that's all the exams we need to review, correct?" Nemuri asks, standing and stretching. "Hey, are all of you busy tonight, or would you want to come do karaoke or something with me?"

"I can't have—"

"I _know_ you can't have alcohol," Nemuri cuts Yagi off. "That doesn't mean you can't still come and have a good time with the rest of us!"

"I actually have a prior engagement," Ken says, standing. "I wish I could go out for karaoke with you. Do make sure to invite Ectoplasm."

Nemuri shoots him a thumbs-up. "Will do! Have fun at your prior engagement!"

"Thank you." Ken leaves the room, and Nemuri turns to Shouta and Hizashi, who have been holding hands under the table the whole time. Nemuri's the only who's noticed yet, given that she's the only one sitting on their side of the table.

"So, Shouta, Hizashi, are you two in?"

"As long as I can sleep at a reasonable hour," Shouta grumbles.

"Ah, I'll make sure you do!" Hizashi promises, leaning over and pressing a quick kiss to Shouta's forehead.

"Snipe? Thirteen?"

"Sure," Snipe drawls. "Why not."

"I'm not one much for singing," Thirteen says. "But I'll come for moral support!"

"Sweet!" Nemuri claps. "I'll go invite Ectoplasm, and then we can all head off together!"

**sorry for the late update. I Have Depression. feels like nothing matters. i kinda hate my writing at the moment. y'know. the usual.**

**thanks for everyone who read, reviewed, followed, and faved. it means a lot.**

**i don't know when to expect the next update, because i'm reworking/rewriting part of the next chapter (which i actually split from this chapter rather than have one really long chapter because i rewrote the Izuku and Sero's final and like, doubled its length and maybe it'd be better to have one long chapter but. yeah. idk. maybe i'll go rework it if/when i revise this fic)**


	19. you sound like my moms

**warnings: guns (courtesy of Snipe's existence), panic, threats of harm, injury and blood, near-death experience, drowning, uuhhh gore?, throat trauma**

Izuku walks into the classroom and the results of the final exam are taped to the blackboard. The rankings are based solely on their written exam results, while whether they passed or failed the practical exam is in a separate column.

He's third in rankings, _again_, which leaves a bit of a sour taste in his mouth. However, the big bold **_FAIL_** next to Bakugou's name in the column for the results of the practical—while Todoroki has as **_PASS_**—is _not_ something he was expecting to see.

"Oh, wow," he says, turning to glance at the rest of the classroom. Yaoyorozu is there already, of course. So are Tsuyu and Todoroki.

"Hey, Todoroki," he asks. "What happened during your exam?"

Todoroki looks up. "You'll see when we review in class."

Izuku blinks and pauses, his hand still on the blackboard next to the results sheet. "Well, yeah, I suppose so, but I want to hear from _you_."

"Oh." Todoroki blinks, and the blank mask seems to crack for just a moment. "Well. As soon as the start buzzer sounded, Bakugou blasted off to fight All Might. While one day I hope to challenge him, I am nowhere near ready yet. So, I decided to leave, letting Bakugou distract him."

Izuku frowns. "That can't be all. No," he shakes his head, "there's no way Mr. Aizawa would let you pass if you both just… went your separate ways right out of the gate."

"I… did try to talk to him, at the beginning," Todoroki replies. Here, he frowns, the expression thawing his features. "I suggested that we should try to come up with a plan, and then he told me I just had to stay out of his way." He shrugs. "I did what he told me to."

The snort comes unbidden, and Izuku shakes his head, chuckling, as he leaves the blackboard. Tokoyami and Jirou have just walked in, and he doesn't want to hog the results list.

"I'm sure he was absolutely _pissed_ about that," he says, sitting on Shiozaki's desk, letting his legs swing.

"He was." Todoroki dips his head in a brief, curt nod. "I think he was also upset that All Might had been… curb stomping him, before I exited."

"Oof," Izuku winces. "Yeah. That. Yeah. Ouch."

"Recovery Girl was most displeased with All Might," Todoroki adds.

Izuku raises his eyebrows. "…How badly did he beat up Bakugou? He should know how much to hold back, right? That kind of strength, against students…"

"I think it was just bruises." Todoroki frowns and tilts his head. "But they were pretty bad."

Izuku winces again. "Ouch." Shiozaki walks in, and she's probably going to want her desk soon, so Izuku stands up. "Well. Congratulations, on passing, and how well you ranked!"

"…I got a lower rank than I did on the midterms."

"Fifth is still _really good_, though," Izuku says, grinning at Todoroki. "I should be getting to my seat now. Anyways, I still think you did great! You made the best out of a bad situation."

He promptly turns and walks down the row, collapsing in his seat in front of Yaoyorozu. "So. You passed," he says.

"Yes," she agreed, nodding. "I did. Shiozaki was a good partner, although Mr. Aizawa was very difficult to beat."

A couple minutes later, Sero groans as he sits down. "I knew being asleep the whole test wouldn't look good," he says. "But you still passed! I'm excited to see how you did it!"

"Oh!" Izuku blushes. "Thanks!"

"Hey!" Jirou's voice cuts through everyone's conversations. She has one jack stuck in the ground. "I can hear Bakugou coming."

"Oh no," Kirishima groans, slumping in his seat. "He's not going to be happy."

The door slams open, and wow! Bakugou is already in a bad mood! He's scowling already as he glances at the results list and then away.

And then he stops, backs up a couple steps, and looks at the results list again.

"_What_," he growls. "The _fuck_? Didn't you fucking escape, Icy-hot bastard?" He shakes his head. "Has to be a fucking misprint…"

"I don't think Mr. Aizawa would let a misprint like that happen," Todoroki replies. He receives the full brunt of Bakugou's scowl, but the blond just huffs and stomps past him, sitting down in his seat in front of Izuku, who reflexively leans away before taking a deep breath… and then several more.

"Hey," Yaoyorozu's voice is soft, and Izuku jumps as she puts her hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," he nods. "Yeah. I'm fine."

She nods. "Okay." The line between her eyebrows tells him that she's not convinced, though. She pats his shoulder once and leans back.

He doesn't manage to completely relax, but he feels less like he's going to panic at any moment by the time Aizawa enters.

(He's helped a little by Kaminari and Ashido's appearance and subsequent moaning over their failure and imminent missing of the training camp, although there is a moment where they do a complicated handshake and shout "Dumbass rights!" that makes him laugh.)

Everyone who's up scurries to their seats the moment Aizawa opens the door.

"Good morning," he says as he walks to the podium and places his folder on it. "Unfortunately, some of you did not pass the final exams. Accordingly, for the training camp in the woods…" He pauses, his eyes glancing over the five who know they failed and the one in front of Izuku who's vibrating from suppressed rage.

"Everyone's going!"

Oh, wow, that smile's going to haunt his nightmares for a while.

"We can go too?" Kirishima exclaims.

"Really?" Ashido's bouncing up and down in her seat.

"Yeah. Some failed, but everyone passed the written exam. In the practical, Kirishima, Satou, Ashido, Kaminari, Sero, and Bakugou failed."

"_What_?" Bakugou exclaims. He looks like he's about to say more, but Aizawa just keeps going.

"This exam, those of us on the villain side left a way for you to win while watching to see how you'd take on the task at hand. If we hadn't, most of you would've been stuck before you started. In the first place, the training camp in the woods is designed to increase strength, so those who failed need it the most."

Given that, the five who failed (aside from Bakugou) start cheering and celebrating amongst themselves.

"However." One word from Aizawa aimed at them is enough to shut them up. "Failure is failure. We have prepared a separate time for extra lessons for all of you. Honestly, it'll be tougher than the lessons you'd receive if you stayed at school."

The five seem to wilt, and Izuku winces in sympathy for them. Extra lessons, on _top_ of the training camp? Horrifying.

Aizawa is in charge of their heroics class that afternoon, with All Might off with 1-B for the day. He walks in wearing his standard dead-eyed stare and carrying a tumbler of coffee, a laptop bag slung over his shoulder.

"You already know what we're doing," he says as he sets his coffee down on the table next to the podium and starts setting up his laptop. "Will anyone volunteer to go first?"

"Oh, us!" Hagakure raises her hand first, bouncing up and down in her chair.

"Are your teammates okay with that?" Aizawa asks without looking up from where he's hooking up the laptop to the projector.

"Yeah," Mashirao says, while Shouji echoes the sentiment. Aizawa reaches up to pull down the projector screen, a window with all the files of the students' practicals open. With a few quick clicks, he pulls up the video of Hagakure, Shouji, and Mashirao and pauses it at the beginning.

"We'll be watching the video and then discussing. The participants will have a chance to explain their decisions and hear feedback from everyone else." With that, Aizawa presses play.

The exam starts off well enough: the three of them are sneaking through the exam ground, split up and trying to avoid Snipe. They're all heading generally for the exit gate while Snipe's prowling around. For someone wearing _spurs_ his steps are suspiciously silent. Snipe has _never_ had silent steps, always accompanied by the jangle of his spurs and it makes Izuku wonder—maybe they have a function that silences them? That makes the most sense, honestly.

Everything's fine for the examinees until Hagakure steps just a little too loud. Snipe has two guns, one still holstered on his hip, loaded with live ammo, and one in his hand, loaded with paint rounds. His hand holding the gun snaps around and fires thrice in the direction of Hagakure, splattering her with bright yellow paint on her shoulder, chest, and hip, completely negating her invisibility without the need of Negation.

Hagakure's yelps as the rounds hit draw the attention of Mashirao and Shouji. Shouji holds his position, forming eyes on his limbs and peeking out from behind his pillar while Mashirao breaks from his cover to charge Snipe, smacking down with his tail and throwing himself in the air. That gun arm swings around, firing once and hitting Mashirao in the chin. Hagakure's rushing in as well, all pretenses of stealth abandoned as she runs forward with a loud cry.

Meanwhile, Shouji's still creeping around towards the exit gate, his limbs all made of ears and eyes.

In the scuffle, Snipe is holding his own. His guns hold twelve rounds each, and while he's exclusively using the one with paint rounds, he's so quick at reloading that it almost doesn't matter. Mashirao and Hagakure are plastered with yellow paint, and likely sporting bruises from the impacts, but still they push forward while Shouji lurks, slipping from pillar to pillar towards the exit.

Shouji almost makes it without getting noticed but one shot that seems to go wild nails him in the shoulder, splattering yellow paint onto his face as Snipe draws his other gun, the one loaded with live rounds, and fires four shots into the pillar in front of Shouji, dropping it across his path to the exit.

Hagakure _screams_, hands coming up to clutch her chest. "Snipe! You shot me in the _boob_!" She drops to her knees as Snipe freezes, just long enough for Mashirao to knock him over with his tail, pin him down, and slam the cuffs around one of his wrists and trigger the win announcement.

"Midnight taught me that one!" real-time Hagakure chirps and Izuku can see Aizawa carefully repress his initial reaction.

"All three of you passed," he says instead of groaning, "however. If Snipe was a real villain, all three of you would be dead, so consider yourselves passing with the lowest possible score. You have a lot of work to do." All three of them nod, solemnly. "Now, walk the rest of the class through your thought processes during the exam."

"Well, I'm _invisible_," Hagakure says first. "I figured I could sneak around and just slip out the door while the boys distracted Snipe! Obviously, that didn't work." She shrugs.

"When I heard Hagakure get hurt, I don't think I really thought it through," Mashirao confesses, ducking his head. "I just… moved. Lucky Snipe was using paint rounds, honestly."

"Since I was covered in paint and not exactly invisible anymore, I decided I could distract Snipe! I'm glad Shouji thought the same thing, and he took my spot in the plan, to sneak to the exit."

"I wasn't as careful as I should have been," Shouji says. "I apologize for that. I should have expected Snipe to be able to detect the slightest movement."

"When he shot Shouji, I knew I had to do _something_, and I remembered a distraction Midnight told a few of us about a while ago! So I did it, and Ojiro used the distraction to cuff him!"

Mashirao laughs, running a hand through his hair. "Honestly, I just… moved. Again. I didn't really think about it all that much!"

"That's good, though!" Izuku pipes up. "You've put a lot of hours into training so you can _just move_. You saw the opening and you took advantage of it, quickly and efficiently completing your objective, and that's a result of the hundreds of hours you've put into training!"

"…You sound like my moms," Mashirao replies, smiling and shaking his head. "I think that's what they'd say, after mom got through chewing me out for letting Snipe shoot me."

"Despite being _out of turn_," Izuku ducks his head as Aizawa glares at him, "Midoriya's correct. Don't downplay the outcomes of hard work and time. Asui, you look like you have something to say."

"Thank you, Mr. Aizawa," Tsuyu says. She turns her head to address Hagakure. "When Midnight taught us that distraction, she said it wouldn't work all the time. How did you know that Snipe was someone it _would_ work on?"

"Because Midnight _said so_!" Hagakure waves her arms over her head. "Remember? When she was explaining it, she used Snipe as an example! She said that, despite his rugged exterior and outlaw cowboy vibe, Snipe is actually quite chivalrous and a bit shy!"

"Oh. Now I remember," Tsuyu says.

"Personally, such a method seems… _distasteful_, to me, but I cannot argue against its effectiveness in this situation," Shiozaki adds.

Hagakure shrugs. "Well, yeah, I mean, it's a little _out there_, you get it? I had my reservations when Midnight taught it, too, but I was just so pressed and I knew I had to do _something_ to win against Snipe, so I gave it a shot and it worked out!"

"It's an advantage to have many different tricks in your arsenal," Aizawa says. "This is just one of many. While my recommendation is that you learn to leverage every advantage you have in a fight, some of you can afford to pick and choose techniques and tactics to suit you and your quirk. While I'd prefer not to have a class full of teenaged Midnights, if that's a technique you wish to refine then all I can do is caution you to be intelligent in how you go about it. I'm sure Midnight has more valuable advice than I on this subject." He clears his throat. "Now. Does anyone else have anything to say about Hagakure, Ojiro, and Shouji's practical exam?"

Several hands shoot up, and Aizawa points at Ashido.

"This is more of a question for you," she says, "but how did Snipe manage to hit Hagakure? She's invisible? How did he know where she was?"

Hagakure bounces in her seat. "I know! I was getting a little too loud, I think, so he could hear my footsteps!"

"That's exactly it," Aizawa replies.

"Okay, but how did he land all three shots?"

"Luck and a lot of practice," Izuku's answer almost runs over the end of Ashido's question. "I don't think he was using Homing for those shots. Even without his quirk, he's a master marksman with his pistols."

"He has _also_ put effort into learning how to use Homing based off sound," Aizawa adds. "When we were in review, he told us that he was, in fact, using his quirk there. Yaoyorozu, you have something to add?"

Izuku twists around to see the girl in the seat behind him nod.

"Yes, I do," she says. "I would like to commend their adaptivity. Their plan fell apart, and instead of panicking, they adjusted their roles and came out victorious—without anyone calling the shots, as well." Several students nod their heads and agree, their words murmuring around the room.

"That's all the time we have for this one," Aizawa says, closing out of Hagakure, Mashirao, and Shouji's video. "If anyone else has any additional comments for them, write them down and hand them in to me and I'll put them with mine. Is anyone volunteering to go next?"

For a moment, no one moves, and Izuku glances at Sero, but before any connection between the two can be made, Shiozaki raises her hand.

"If it's okay with Yaoyorozu, I'd like to see ours next," she says.

"That's okay with me," Yaoyorozu replies.

Aizawa nods and brings up Yaoyorozu and Shiozaki's video while Sero leans over to Izuku.

"You want to go next?" he whispers, and Izuku nods. Sero smiles and gives him a thumbs up. "That's all good with me!"

"Thanks," Izuku whispers, and they lean back into their own seats as Aizawa presses play on the video.

It starts with Shiozaki and Yaoyorozu walking through the streets of a ground designed to look like a residential area. The two of them speak to each other in quiet tones, the audio of the cameras recording them supplemented by the audio in their comm links. For a few moments, they're both at a loss before Shiozaki suggests that Yaoyorozu continuously creates small objects with her quirk. Yaoyorozu does so, and Shiozaki says she may have an idea and that they just have to find Eraserhead first, and Shiozaki will break line of sight with him so she can use her vines to restrain him while Yaoyorozu gets ready to cuff him.

This seems to go well, for about five minutes. From the camera angle chosen, Izuku can see the shadow moving in the background. Even in bright light in the middle of a residential area, Eraserhead is barely more than a shadow as he moves. He's been following them for about three and a half of those five minutes.

At the five-minute mark, Eraserhead acts, activating his quirk. It takes only a couple heartbeats for Shiozaki to realize, but that's a few seconds too long. Eraserhead doesn't act, though, when Izuku _knows_ that he should be, that in a mission, he _would_ be.

Oh.

He's giving them a _chance_.

Shiozaki-on-screen whips around and Eraserhead leaps down, heading directly for her. She shouts for Yaoyorozu to run as she dodges Eraserhead's kick.

A moment of hesitation, and Yaoyorozu-on-screen runs. It's the work of a few quick moments for him to tie up Shiozaki, sticking her in the side of the neck with an automatic syringe. She's unconscious within moments, Eraserhead easing her to the ground, and he leaves the syringe behind as he takes off to track Yaoyorozu.

(It's an automated syringe, which means the needle retracts and sterilizes itself. Eraserhead wouldn't just leave a contaminated sharp exposed on the ground like an idiot.)

The camera switches to Yaoyorozu, running towards the escape gate. It's maybe thirty seconds after she left Shiozaki, and it takes maybe thirty seconds beyond that for Eraserhead to catch up with her, flinging a section of his capture weapon and wrapping it around her arm. She reacts almost immediately, creating a cylinder around her arm with her quirk. It gives her space, allowing her to pull her arm free and keep running. Eraserhead, leaping from rooftop to rooftop with the help of his capture weapon, cuts her off from the exit gate. She doubles back, heading for Shiozaki, and he lets her, watching.

Yaoyorozu-on-screen arrives next to Shiozaki's unconscious form and it takes her a split second to notice the syringe on the ground. She picks it up, and just her luck (_just by Eraserhead's design_), it's labeled.

Her eyes widen.

"Oh," she whispers, the microphone of her comm link picking it up. "I know this." A quick search through her digitized encyclopedia, and she's creating an antidote, automatic syringe and all.

Shiozaki's neck is about the only spot where she has bare skin showing that isn't her face, so for the second time she gets a syringe to the neck.

She's waking up in about thirty seconds, and that's definitely enough time for Eraserhead to have found them again.

"I tried to escape," Yaoyorozu-on-screen says.

"That's okay," Shiozaki-on-screen says, smiling. "He said that my plan wouldn't work because I was taking too much of the responsibility. Do you have a plan?"

Yaoyorozu shakes her head, glancing over her shoulder. "He—he's coming, he's on his way, there's not enough time—"

"No, I think you had a plan before. What was it?"

Yaoyorozu pauses and leans down to whisper it to Shiozaki. The comm link picks up every word, and Izuku's eyes widen.

"It's changed a little," Yaoyorozu-on-screen says.

"I think it'll work," Shiozaki says, smiling. "I knew there was a reason I voted for you as class rep, Yaoyorozu."

Yaoyorozu's eyes widen but whatever conversation she wanted to have is cut off by the arrival of Eraserhead. Yaoyorozu reacts first, throwing a handful of the nesting dolls she's been making at him. He sweeps them aside with his capture weapon except—

They explode like flashbangs. Eraserhead recovers as vines shoot up and wrap around him and the glint of steel in substitute sunlight is the prelude to his knife tearing through Shiozaki's vines. She winces as he cuts his way out and drops, landing on the other side of Shiozaki's vines as Yaoyorozu creates _something_ out of her belly fat.

"He's going to come from an off-angle," Yaoyorozu pants, and Shiozaki fixes that by covering her with a globe of vines, cutting Yaoyorozu off from view just as Eraserhead swings up from behind the vines, his capture weapon catching on a power pole and hauling him upwards as he activates his quirk on Shiozaki.

Without her quirk she can't hope to match Eraserhead, and he restrains her in his capture weapon. He can't use his knock-out juice a second time on her, and he can't take his eyes off her or she'll be able to attack again—

Yaoyorozu solves his conundrum, tearing her way out of Shiozaki's vine shield. She pulls a pin out of some sort of canister with her teeth before throwing it down at Shiozaki and Eraserhead's feet. Smoke pours out of the canister as Yaoyorozu runs forward, a gas mask on her face and several items carried in her left hand.

Eraserhead retreats as the smoke obscures the scene. With his line-of-sight blocked, he can't stop the vines that shoot out and circle close around him, encasing him in a globe like Yaoyorozu's. Izuku can just barely see the glint of metal canisters within their grasp and in seconds, Eraserhead-on-screen has cut his way out of the vines. Another view of the cameras shows Yaoyorozu and Shiozaki hiding together in the shelter of Shiozaki's vines.

Yaoyorozu is holding the handcuffs as Eraserhead stumbles.

She takes her cue from that, leaving cover and running forward to him. Even inhibited, he makes her struggle to capture him, but within a minute she has the cuffs around his wrist and the video ends.

"Oh my god," Kaminari whispers. "You drugged Mr. Aizawa."

"Well, I did take the idea from him," Yaoyorozu replies. "He left the syringe he used on Shiozaki behind, and it was labeled. I recognized the toxin he used, it's one commonly utilized in underground heroics, so I could make the antidote."

"What did you use on Mr. Aizawa? I don't think I heard you mention it," Izuku asks, and Yaoyorozu shakes her head.

"No, I don't think I said it," she agrees. "I had Shiozaki break several canisters of xenon. Most of it would disperse in the air, but I hoped enough would get in his system that I could cuff him."

Izuku frowns, thinking. Hagakure asks Shiozaki something, but Izuku can't decipher it over the thoughts in his head.

He leans back towards Yaoyorozu. "Xenon?" he asks, quiet.

"Yes, it's a general anesthetic," she replies.

"Thanks," he says, tuning back into the class's conversation. Shiozaki is talking about the first confrontation, and that she should've noticed their quirks erased sooner, and Izuku raises his hand.

"You have something to add, Midoriya?" she asks, and he nods.

"It was a good idea to have Yaoyorozu create continuously, but that was just taking out of her stores that she might need later, and it only works if Mr. Aizawa starts by using Erasure which, admittedly, is how he generally starts fights—but not always. It also… didn't actually do anything to alert you to him? He had been following you for three and a half minutes by the time he decided to engage."

"Wait, he had?" Yaoyorozu asks.

"What?"

"How?"

"How do _you_ know," Bakugou snarls, not even glancing over his shoulder. Izuku flinches backwards, fear curling in his gut.

"B-because I, because the camera, he was on the cameras?" Izuku replies.

"Good eye," Aizawa says. "Yes, I had been following them for a while before I decided to attack."

"You didn't even attack though, did you?" Jirou asks, leaning forward and resting her chin on her laced fingers. "You waited for them to notice you."

Aizawa nods. "Yes. I did."

"What? Why?" Shiozaki asks, her voice wavering.

"I could have taken both of you out in the first two minute of the exam. That, however, would have taught you nothing. It would be demoralizing for you and nothing better than an ego stroke for me. The teams and opponents for the exams were decided with the goal of forcing you to confront a weakness in order to win."

"…What were ours?" Yaoyorozu's voice is soft.

"For you, the intention was for you to confront your confidence issues."

"And mine?"

"Your over-reliance on your quirk."

Hagakure raises her hand, bright bracelets falling down her arm as she does. "What were the weaknesses you wanted Shouji, Ojiro, and I to confront?"

"All three of you are close-range fighters. Two of you were stealth specialists against someone who has sunk hours and hours into learning how to counter stealthy villains in order to cover a weakness of his own." Aizawa glances at the clock. "That's all the time we have for Yaoyorozu and Shiozaki. Is—"

Izuku's hand shoots up and Aizawa sighs.

"Midoriya and Sero it is." He pulls up the video, but before he can start it, Izuku speaks.

"Um, excuse me, but before we watch, what was the weakness you put Sero and I together against Midnight to face?"

"Sero, your quirk can work at-range, however, your fighting style dictates that you get in close to capture your opponent. Midoriya, your quirk works _solely_ at short-range and while you have your mouthguard with its accompanying air filter, your partner has no such gear."

Izuku nods, but… He's not entirely convinced that's _all_ there is. However, Aizawa's starting the video so all that's left to do is watch it.

He takes notes as it plays, scribbling in shorthand, occasionally glancing down to make sure he wasn't running his characters into each other.

The video ends, and Izuku looks around the classroom to see some of his classmates staring, open-mouthed and wide-eyed, at the projector screen.

"Wow," Jirou says, looking over at him. "Just—wow. I knew you were good, Midoriya, but that was next-level."

He blushes and ducks his head, twirling a lock of hair around his index finger. "Well, I don't think I could've won if she hadn't had the weights…"

"Maybe so, but Izuku, you were fighting her for… seven or eight minutes consecutively? I know we do endurance spars occasionally, but that was an actual fight."

"Yes, Midoriya, how about you walk us through your decisions during the exam," Aizawa says.

"Well, I first thought that if we split up, she would only be able to target one of us at a time. Obviously," he laughs nervously, "that was a gross underestimation of her abilities. That was my mistake. It was also my mistake to suggest Sero do the stealth job. Between the two of us, I'm the one trained in stealth, and that, uh, that backfired."

"It's okay, I'm about as stealthy as a drunk hippo but at least I know it now!" Sero grins, rubbing the back of his neck.

Izuku chuckles. "Uh. Yeah. Anyways, once I noticed what Midnight was doing with her quirk, I tried to contact Sero and, well, obviously I couldn't. So, I figured that I could probably find Sero and negate her quirk on him, or, I stood a higher chance of passing if I snuck through to the exit gate, except. Why would Midnight flood the field with her quirk? She knows what mine is. I'm pretty sure she's aware that I can pre-emptively negate her quirk, plus she _definitely _knows about the air filter in my mouthguard. So why would she flood the field with her quirk, which _I can hard counter_, and blocking her sightlines… unless she can sense disturbances in it?"

Everyone's eyes are on him as he continues… Everyone except Bakugou.

"I, uh, kind of wanted to try and see if I can negate an aerosol, but I didn't want that to be my Plan A, and also, that was a lot of her quirk in her air at that point. So I was thinking, and… her style is very similar to Mr. Aizawa's, at its base: ambush, capture, move on. So, I figured, I might have the better stamina in a drawn-out fight? Especially with those weights. And, well, maybe if she _couldn't_ sense disturbances in her quirk, maybe I could still sneak through to the exit gate."

"And, well, anyways, obviously, she can detect disturbances in her quirk. I… my earpieces can amplify the sounds of my surrounding, if I need them to, so I was having them do that, so I knew when Midnight approached. And from there it was just… waiting for an opening to cuff her."

"I repeat: wow," Jirou says, burying her head in her hands.

Izuku volunteers to help clean up the classroom that afternoon, sticking around with Kouda. Ever-silent Kouda says nothing but listens with a smile as Izuku chatters a bit about quirk analysis and a recent study that came out about the first quirks. When they're finished, Izuku waves at the other before heading towards the staff room and knocking on the door.

It's opened, a moment later, by one of the second-years' homeroom teachers, Amachi Niko, better known as Puddlejumper. A couple inches shorter than him, she peers up at him through light blue eyes magnified by the large round goggles she always wears. He's only met her once or twice, but she's always been kind.

"Can I help you?" she asks.

"Uh, can I speak to Mr. Aizawa?" Already, he can hear the man sighing and getting to his feet as he's teased by Kayama. Amachi is replaced by Aizawa, who slouches as he looks down at Izuku.

"What do you want?"

"I had some more questions about my final," Izuku replies, twisting his fingers together in front of him. Aizawa glances back over his shoulder and then gestures for Izuku to follow him in. Kayama and Yamada both wave at Izuku, and he waves back.

There's a corner of the teachers' collective office dedicated to a couple couches, a microwave, and a coffee maker, and Aizawa gestures for Izuku to sit as he himself sits down on the other couch. Izuku takes off his backpack and sets it next to his feet as he sits down.

"Go," Aizawa says, and Izuku fidgets with his fingers for a moment before speaking.

"I… you did explain in class, why I was paired up against Midnight, but… that didn't feel like the full reason."

Aizawa sighs. "You want the honest reason? Okay. You were the odd student out. I couldn't pair you off how I initially wanted to, for various reasons."

"How did you want to pair me up?"

"Initially I wanted to pair you up with Bakugou against All Might." Izuku manages to suppress his reaction, limiting it to just a sharp inhale, but Aizawa can't have possibly missed it. Hopefully he'll just write it off as shock at almost being pitted against _All Might_? "I know you and Bakugou have some issues, and I hoped that being paired up for the final could teach the two of you to work together. However, I couldn't actually pair you against All Might, and I couldn't necessarily pit Bakugou against anyone _but_ All Might or he'd take it as an insult."

Izuku nods. That's… sound. "So… All Might's strength is a heteromorphic-type quirk?"

Aizawa snorts. "_That's_ what you got from that?"

"Well, I mean, if it's a heteromorphic type, which I can't negate, then I wouldn't stand a chance against him, right? Even, even _with_, uh, even with Bakugou, I'd just be dead weight against him."

Aizawa sighs, reaching up and running a hand down the scarred side of his face. "Kid. Just shoot him in the back with your dart gun. He wears _spandex_."

"No, actually, he _doesn't_," Izuku retorts. "_Who_ would have _honest spandex_ as their hero costume? That's—that's the worst idea I've ever heard."

"Tell that to Mt. Lady," Aizawa mutters. "Honestly, you _could_ have won against All Might in the practical exam. There's other reasons that arrangement didn't work out."

"Oh." Izuku ducks his head. "I… I won't pry anymore."

"Pry as much as you need to," Aizawa replies, leaning back against the back of his couch. "Go home and get some rest."

Izuku nods and stands, pulling his backpack on. "Good luck on patrol."

"Don't need luck," comes the reply.

"I'm glad we can all go together!" Most of 1-A is just packing up after classes are over on Saturday when Mashirao approaches Kaminari and Ashido. Everyone has a blue camp guidebook, telling them what to pack and what to expect for the camp.

"Yeah!" Izuku agrees, standing next to Mashirao. "We'll need to bring a lot of stuff, though, for a whole week."

"I don't have a bathing suit or anything," Kaminari says. "I'll have to buy a bunch of stuff." He does _not_ look excited about that fact.

"Oh!" Hagakure perks up. "Then since we're off tomorrow, and we just finished our exams, why don't we all go shopping together?" She speaks quick, her voice bright with excitement.

"Oh, good idea!" Kaminari grins. "Won't this be the first time we all hang out together?"

"Mhm!" Uraraka nods.

Kirishima turns towards Bakugou, who's walking towards the exit. "Hey, Bakugou, you're coming too?"

"Like I'd do something so _irritating_," Bakugou replies. Izuku ignores the rest of that interaction, instead opting to head towards Todoroki.

"Hey, are you going to come?"

"I visit my mom on our days off," he replies.

"So that's a no?" Izuku says, nodding. "Alright! I hope you have a good time with your mom!"

"…Thank you," Todoroki says, and Izuku grins at him before turning and rejoining Mashirao, Uraraka, and Kaminari.

He can feel Todoroki's gaze lingering.

They meet up outside the front doors of the mall. Izuku arrives with Mashirao, and together they find their group easily since Shouji's already there. They just have to wait for Jirou and Kirishima, and once those two arrive, they head in.

"Hey, aren't those U.A. students?" someone yells, pointing.

"First years!" one of his friends says.

The other one adds, "I saw them on TV!"

"Yeah, Sports Festival!" all three of them cheer.

"Oh, there are still people who remember that!" Uraraka says, sounding overwhelmed.

All of them need different things, so they all split up and decide to meet back at the plaza in a few hours. Izuku and Uraraka are left waiting together while everyone else decides very quickly who to go places with.

"Well, uh, what do you need?" he asks her. "I want to get some heavier wrist weights."

"I need bug spray," Uraraka says. And then she blushes and runs away.

…Okay, then. Now he's all alone. He should've just tried to tag along with Mashirao.

"Oh, someone from U.A., cool!"

Izuku turns to try and find the owner of the voice. He turns in time to see a tall, pale man in a black hoodie sling an arm around his shoulder. He's wearing fingerless gloves, a turtleneck, and a white mask over the lower half of his face. "Let me have your autograph! You were the one who won the Sports Festival, right?"

"Uh, yeah," Izuku replies, feeling every muscle in his body tense as his heartrate picks up. Oh, he does not want this.

"Man, I can't believe it. Can't believe I'd see _you_ in a place like this."

…_what_ was that stress on the word _you_?

"It makes me feel like there's something to it," the man says, his voice low and dangerous. "Something like fate…" his hand wraps around Izuku's neck. "Or destiny."

"W-what?" Izuku gasps. He can feel—there's three fingers, and a thumb. Okay. He does _not_ want to know what will happen if that middle finger comes down.

"Now, we haven't met, Midoriya Izuku," the man says, "but you've caught my attention. Your classmates have already seen me, so that means you and I just get to have a fresh, clean start, huh?"

What—

"The USJ," he whispers.

"Yes, that's right," the man replies. His breath is hot on Izuku's ear. "The USJ. I was responsible for that."

Izuku feels, in equal doses, anger and terror flood his veins. This man attacked his classmates. This man hurt Aizawa—this man almost _killed_ Aizawa.

"Act natural, like I'm an old friend," the man says. "If you don't, well, I'll kill you. And don't you dare think of using that quirk of yours on me—I'm sure I'm the faster one." As he says this, the man reaches down and wraps his other hand around Izuku's left wrist.

"Okay," he gasps.

"Now calm down. Catch your breath. Do something funny." That middle finger brushes up and down, coming ever-so-close to the soft skin right over his trachea.

That finger is all he can think about, his world narrowing down to that one finger, up, down, up, down.

"It's simple: the instant all five of my fingers touch the skin of your neck, you'll start crumbling. You'll turn to dust in less than a minute."

He's shaking. Why isn't anybody _noticing_? Isn't anyone _concerned_?

"If you do that," he says, voice shaking, "if you do that in a place with—with so many people, a hero will come and catch you in no time."

"I'm sure." The man is smiling. "But look at these guys!" He doesn't gesture, not with Izuku's wrist locked in his hand. "Even though anyone could wield their quirk at any time… How can they smile and gather like that?

"When it comes down to it, laws and rules assume that individuals have morals. They're convinced that no one could ever do it!"

He pauses, laughs. "Before I'm caught, I could kill twenty, thirty people!'

Izuku doesn't relax.

Can't relax.

But he breathes and forces himself to release the fist he was making with his right hand.

"What do you want?"

"I want to have a conversation with you," the man says. "Oh, this is nice. Let's sit down and have a chat."

The man is in charge, steering Izuku around, manhandling him towards the bench next to a fountain. They sit down together, and Izuku can't. Stop. Shaking.

"Anyway, I hate everything," the man says. "But I especially hate that man, the hero killer. Oh, he acts so high and mighty, but in the end, he's just destroying the things he hates, the same as me. But, the Noumu I released in Hosu, the attack on U.A…. everything's being upstaged by him, no matter what I do. What do you think the difference is between him and I, Midoriya?"

"Why are, why are you asking me?" Izuku asks. "I've never met him."

"Hm." The man nods. "True. Well then, how about this: why don't you come with me? I could probably introduce you to him, let you figure out the reasons up close."

"I'd… rather not," Izuku replies.

"Oh, but here's the thing," the man says. "You should. Your quirk—it doesn't just remind me of Eraserhead's, it reminds me of my master's. I think you should meet him."

"Who's your master?" Keep him talking. The longer the better. Come on, anyone, notice him…

"Hm. How do I explain Master to you, hn?" The man leans back for a moment. "He is… _great_. Greater, even, than All Might himself."

Oh.

Oh boy.

"He _saved_ me," the man says. "Where All Might _wouldn't_."

"You, uh," Izuku stops as that finger comes so, so close to resting on his skin. "You do realize All Might physically cannot save everyone, right? No one can."

"Oh, is that so, then?" the man asks. "Maybe I should just… start right here, see how long it takes him to show up, how many _deaths _it takes."

"Why are you… Why are you so obsessed with All Might? My classmates mentioned that you were… you were trying to kill him, at the USJ. You were obsessed with him then."

"With _All Might_? He's _everything_ I hate. I hate the way he smiles. I hate the way he laughs."

"You sound like you're just describing an annoying person in your class." Izuku hisses as that finger comes close, so close again.

"An annoying person? Ha! _No_." The man's voice drips with malice. "He's everything I hate. He's the—he's the _popular kid_ who everyone loves, who doesn't even try. Everyone loves him, but it's all so… _hollow_."

"How is it hollow?" Come on, someone, _anyone_! Just look a little closer!

"It's hollow… the way this _peace_ is," the man hisses. "I mean, look at this! You're _obviously_ terrified, and I'm sitting here with my hand wrapped around your neck, and yet not a single soul stops. Not a single one looks closer."

The man leans closer.

"All Might is like that."

His lips are almost brushing the shell of Izuku's ear, that's how close he's leaning.

"He's smiling, he's happy, but that's only the illusion. In reality, he doesn't look close enough to see what's happening right. In. Front of him."

"Oh," Izuku gasps. "That's fair, I guess."

"This peace…" the man murmurs, his gaze turning out towards the crowds. "I wonder if anyone will look closer if I make it obvious?"

"What," Izuku chokes, except the middle finger comes down.

The pain is immediate. It's like nothing he's ever felt before, sharp and dull at the same time as the man's quirk eats into his skin. He can feel those fingers digging in, pressing deeper…

It takes longer than it should for Izuku's right arm to come over and slap the bare skin of his left, all five fingers wrapping around it right above where the man's is. Red light courses over his skin and he can hear the man curse.

The pain worsens as the man drags him by his throat off the bench and throws him to the ground. The man… is running?

"Oh my god!"

"Someone, call an ambulance!"

"Hey—stop! Stop that guy!"

"Holy shit, look at that kid's neck!"

His flesh has stopped decaying, but the injuries _burn_.

And Izuku…

He can breathe, except.

Blood bubbles in his throat.

He chokes on his own blood.

Oh, fuck.

Someone else is pressing their hands to his throat, and he lashes out. The man's back. He's back, he's coming back to finish the job—

Someone catches his hands.

"Hey, kid, come on, I need you to calm down, okay?" Someone's speaking, a calm voice. Someone's hands are on his throat.

_Someone's hands are on his throat_.

"Hey, hey, kid, come on."

They have a soft voice.

Someone else is holding his hands. Someone's holding his legs. He can't move his arms or his legs-

"Hey, can you look at me? Come on, that's it, you can do it."

He can barely breathe. His throat _burns_, and there's blood, bubbling, in and on his throat, where there's a fucking _hole _in it.

But, slowly, his eyes come into focus. The person has white hair and dark skin.

"There you go, kid, that's it." Their hands are the ones on his neck. Pressure. Applying pressure to the injuries they can, without hurting his throat even more. "That's it, that's it, alright? I'm taking care of you. My name is Kajitani and I'm a nurse."

He blinks, and everything loses focus again. He breathes—

His breath hitches—

"Come on, stay with me, kid, okay? Alright?"

Blood bubbles in his throat.

He can't breathe.

He can't _breathe_.

And then—

A cold hand, on his forehead.

"Midori."

He blinks. His eyes flick up.

There's Tsuyu. It's her hand, cool, on his forehead.

"Midori," she says again. "I need you to release your quirk. Can you do that for me?"

His—

His quirk?

What?

"Please, Midori," she whispers. "Can you release your quirk?"

Oh-

Oh. He can do that. He brushes the thumb and middle finger of his right hand together, barely a snap, but enough to count and he can feel the tightness in his skin release along with his quirk.

"There you go," Tsuyu says. "There you go." Her other hand joins the one already on his forehead.

"All you have to do now is breathe, okay? Just breathe," she whispers.

He breathes.

**the xenon Yaoyorozu uses is something i added as a nod to one of my favorite books of all time, Itch: the Explosive Adventures of an Element Hunter by Simon Mayo. Hella underrated book, hella good, it's about a chemistry-obsessed teenage boy who makes an unprecedented scientific discovery, accidentally discloses it to The Wrong People, and then decides that he's going to keep it safe from The Wrong People, with the help of Girl Power (his cousin Jack and little sister Chloe).**

**the ending of this chapter is a nod to how the Kiyashi Ward incident goes in NohaIjiachi's fic a beacon in the dark.**

**thank you to everyone who's read, reviewed, faved, and followed! i appreciate all of you!**

**(x-posted on ao3, username: orkestrations)**

**(back to normal posting schedule, see you Tuesday the 28th)**


	20. you did nothing wrong

**warnings: acute stress, self blame, hospital**

**Shouta** is sitting, laptop on lap, on the couch of his and Hizashi's apartment, going over plans and strategies for the training camp, when he gets a call. _Tsukauchi_, reads the contact name, and that's interesting. What the hell could Tsukauchi want, now?

He swipes the green _accept_ button and holds the phone to his ear. "Go."

_"There's been an incident involving one of your students and a man we believe to be Shigaraki Tomura at the Kiyashi Ward shopping mall."_

_What_.

"Which student," he all but growls.

_"Midoriya Izuku. Another student, Uraraka Ochako, was the one who initially alerted us. She and another, Asui Tsuyu, caught sight of Midoriya and Shigaraki. According to Uraraka, she thought it looked like he was maybe an old friend or something like that, however, Asui recognized Shigaraki from the USJ incident, and so Uraraka called my office. While they were on the phone, Shigaraki and Midoriya shifted enough that Uraraka and Asui could see that Shigaraki had his hand around Midoriya's neck."_

Shouta can hear Tsukauchi take a deep breath over the line.

_"Approximately thirty seconds after that, Shigaraki…"_ Another deep breath, and Shouta's chest squeezes.

"What. Happened," he snaps.

_"Shigaraki used his quirk on Midoriya. Midoriya responded by using his own quirk on himself, and Shigaraki left. He, unfortunately, escaped apprehension. According to witnesses and first-responders, Midoriya was still conscious when he was being loaded into the ambulance. Witnesses are being taken to the nearby police station, which is where I'm heading."_

"Understood," Shouta replies. "I'll be there as soon as I can."

He hangs up.

"You'll explain in the car?" Hizashi asks, getting to his feet.

"Yes," Shouta replies, standing up as well. The two of them are already getting in the car when he realizes he's still wearing his pink sweatpants. Oh well. They'll just have to deal.

"Where are we going?" Hizashi asks as he turns the key in the ignition.

Shouta rattles off the address of the correct police stations, and Hizashi nods and pulls out of their parking spot. As he turns out onto the road, Shouta begins to explain.

"That was Tsukauchi. There was an incident involving Shigaraki Tomura, Midoriya, Uraraka, and Asui at the Kiyashi Ward shopping mall. Uraraka and Asui witnessed Shigaraki using his quirk against Midoriya."

Hizashi inhales sharply through his teeth, the air hissing. "Where?"

"…His neck."

"Oh, shit."

Shouta bows his head, his hair falling around his face. "According to witnesses and first responders, Midoriya was still conscious when he was being loaded into the ambulance."

"Well, that's good, at least."

They don't talk much the rest of the way to the station. Hizashi parks, they get out, and they go inside. They show their hero licenses and U.A. IDs at the desk and get escorted to the station's break room where Uraraka and Asui are sitting together on a couch with Tsukauchi a few feet away, sitting in a chair at one of the break room's tables.

Tsukauchi is the only one of the three who registers their entry.

"Yamada. Aizawa," he says, greeting them in turn, and that's enough to get the girls' attention.

"Mr. Aizawa," Uraraka says, her voice hitching, her expression crumpling inwards as a fresh wave of tears comes over her. Shouta crosses the room in a couple strides, stopping to crouch in front of the couch, evenly splitting the (little) distance between the girls (they're practically cuddled up together, he notes).

"Uraraka. Asui." He keeps his voice level, steady, even. And then he stops.

What does he say?

"He—" Uraraka leans forward, curling into herself, one hand with the knuckles white as it grips the front of her shirt and the other one grasping her own upper arm. "Mr. Aizawa, h-he-!"

"Hey," he says, soft. "It's okay. You did the right thing."

"No." She shakes her head. "I—I should've, I should've done—I could've—"

"Hey, none of that now," he says. "Uraraka. Look at me." He hates eye contact, but if that's what it takes to send the message, then he'll do it.

She tilts her face up, just barely, just enough to catch his eyes.

"You did the right thing," he says. "Detective Tsukauchi filled me in over the phone. You did everything right."

She squeezes her eyes shut and shakes her head again. "N-no, I could've, I could've done _something_—"

"You did _everything right_," he stresses, reaching up and putting a hand on her shoulder. "You made the right decision. What do you think would've happened if you had marched right up to Shigaraki and confronted him, hm?"

"I—I wasn't…" she trails off, blinking. "I… But I…" She shuts her eyes again, squeezes them closed, shakes her head. "There had to… There had to have been _something_…"

"You could play that game for the rest of your life," he says. He should know—he certainly had tried to, for a very long time. "But it's never going to change what happened."

"I…" She sniffles and reaches up to swipe the back of her hand over her eyes. "I _know_. But… Shouldn't I…" She shakes her head, swallows hard. "Shouldn't I know… what I did wrong? So I can do better next time?"

"_Uraraka_," he says, looking up at her, willing her to meet his eyes of her own accord. She does, and he notes that hers are red and swollen and shiny with more tears. "You did nothing wrong."

"No, I," she shakes her head, screwing her eyes shut. "I _did_. I _left_ him. I—I got _flustered_, and, and, and it was all—" she shakes her head. "It was _stupid_. I. I got flustered because…" She pauses, swallows. "I got flustered and left because maybe I have a crush on him and now he might be _dead_ and I wouldn't even have thought of it if it wasn't for _stupid Aoyama_!"

She's yelling by the end of her speech, and the tidal wave of frustration and trauma and pain washes over her and brings forth a new flood of tears as she buries her face in her hands.

Oh. Well. Okay. He leaves his hand on Uraraka's shoulder as she cries, and notes that Asui is still silent. Hizashi is sitting at the end of the couch, now, about a third of a meter of space between them.

Her silence… it's not her normal quiet.

Soon, Uraraka's sniffling again, quieting again, and so he speaks, soft and steady.

"Uraraka, did you know ahead of time that Shigaraki was going to be there?"

"What? N-no, of course not!"

He blinks, nods. "Is your quirk precognitive?"

"N-no. Mr. Aizawa, you… you know what my quirk is."

"So if you didn't know that Shigaraki was going to be there, if you had no way of knowing…" he pauses, lets it sink in a little. "Then how is that in any way your fault?"

"I…" she sniffles, takes a deep breath. "I kn-_know_. It… it's _not my fault_. But it… it feels like it is. Like I could've stopped it, y'know?" She's rubbing her upper arm, looking away, biting her lip.

"Yes," he says. "I know."

She turns back towards him.

"It's… hardly logical," he says. "And hard to deal with. But that's just… emotional responses. They operate by their own rules."

"I… Oh. I…" She swallows. Nods. And then frowns. "You're… wearing… hot pink sweatpants," she says.

"They're comfortable," he replies.

"Oh." One corner of her mouth tilts up, just a small curl, barely enough to call a smile. "That's logical."

He dips his head for a moment, acknowledging her joke, before turning his attention to Asui, who's been silent the whole time. She's staring at nothing, dark eyes unblinking (not that she ever blinks much).

"Hey," he says, removing his hand from Uraraka's shoulder. "Asui."

Her eyes move, focusing on him.

She doesn't speak, but she does pick up her phone and type something into it.

"I know what you're going to say," the text-to-speech app reads.

"Oh?" Shouta raises one eyebrow.

It takes her a moment to type her response.

"You're going to tell me it's not my fault. I did everything I could. I know that already."

"Okay." Shouta dips his head for a moment. He doesn't know what to say next, and thankfully, he doesn't have to, as Asui begins typing something.

"I can't get the sight of him out of my head," the app reads. "Ochako, please tell him."

"She…" Uraraka swallows as Shouta shifts to look at her again. "One of the first-responders has a… a healing, or a stabilizing quirk of some sort, only it wasn't… It wasn't working on him be-because he, because he had used his quirk on himself earlier, so Tsuyu, so she went over and, and talked him into releasing it."

Oh.

Shouta blinks.

"They had to… they had to hold him down, because he was panicking, and, and the first responder, she, she said something about trauma to his, to his cervical vertebrae? And…" Ochako shakes her head. "He's panicking, and, and, he's choking on his _own blood_, and Tsuyu just… she just… she just goes over there. She calms him down, she talks him into releasing his quirk so that, so that they can _help him_, and she. She stays with him. She's, she's keeping him calm, and I can just." Uraraka shakes her head, shaking herself, a full-body shake. "I can just _stand there_ and. And the detective's on the phone but. But I can barely say anything."

"That's okay," Shouta says. "Not everyone reacts the same way in traumatic situations, and that's okay."

"But I'm… I'm training to be a hero," Uraraka says, her shoulders slumping, her voice quiet, and for a moment, she seems so small. "How can I… How can I ever be a hero if I just _stand there_?"

"Uraraka, you're fifteen," he says. "You've _just_ completed your first term of high school. You'll get there. You said it yourself: you're _training_ to be a hero. How you react in stressful situations is a skill that can be trained, the same as any other."

She nods, and does not say anything more.

**PANIC IN KIYASHI WARD SHOPPING MALL—HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT IN CRITICAL CONDITION**

**-a man suspected to be Shigaraki Tomura, wanted in connection to the attack on U.A. in April, used his quirk on a high school student—**

**-suspect still at large—**

**_Class 1-EYYYYY_**

**_Class Prez 3_**

_I want everyone to check in! Jirou and I are near the southwest entrance._

**_Alien Queen~~_**

_Kaminari and Sero are with me and we're all okay! [thumbs up]_

**_Tokoyami Fumikage_**

_I am well. Shouji is with me._

**_Shouji Mezou_**

_Tokoyami and I are good._

_I just saw Ojiro_

**_Kirishima Eijirou_**

_I'm all good!_

**_Hagakure Tooru_**

_I just found Kirishima!_

**_Satou Rikido_**

_Kouda and I just found Ojiro. Shouji, Tokoyami, should we try to find each other?_

**_Shiozaki Ibara_**

_I just found Aoyama. He and I are both okay._

**_sticky boy tape man_**

_Hey? I just heard the police talking? Apparently they're clearing out the mall because SHIGARAKI was spotted?_

**_Shiozaki Ibara_**

_Shigaraki?_

_HERE?_

**_sticky boy tape man_**

_They shut up as soon as they noticed me trying to listen but apparently he hurt someone?_

**_Class Prez 3_**

_ Urarara Tsuyu he's holding a GOOSE Check in, please?_

**_Kirishima Eijirou_**

_I saw Uraraka and Tsuyu together a few minutes ago. That was before the evacuation order, though._

_Hey Ashido you're all near the front entrance, right?_

**_Alien Queen~~_**

_Yeah!_

**_Kirishima Eijirou_**

_Alright! We're coming to find you._

**_Tail-man_**

_I'm hearing that the mall is going to be closed for the rest of the day, maybe, so I'm going to head home. I'll let you know if I hear from Izuku._

**_Class Prez 3_**

_Stay safe! Let us know when you get home._

**_Tail-man_**

_Sure thing_

**_[Chargebolt changed Yaoyorozu Momo's nickname to Class Mom 3]_**

**_Satou Rikido_**

_Kouda and I are calling it, too. See everyone tomorrow._

**_Class Mom 3_**

_ Urarara Tsuyu he's holding a GOOSE It's been half an hour. Are you all okay? Please check in._

**_Tail-man_**

_I haven't heard from Izuku. I could ask one of my moms to call his mom?_

**_Class Mom 3_**

_Please._

**_Jirou Kyouka_**

_ Urarara Tsuyu he's holding a GOOSE hey come on. Everyone's worried._

**_sticky boy tape man_**

_So no one's heard from any of them?_

**_Tail-man_**

_When my mom tried to call Mrs. Midoriya, she didn't pick up. No one else I've asked has heard from him, either._

**_I Cannot Stop Twinkling_**

_Well That Is Simply Not Good._

_This Is Not Good Either: [link to article: PANIC IN KIYASHI WARD SHOPPING MALL]_

**_Kirishima Eijirou_**

_A high school student?_

_You don't think that's_

**_Alien Queen~~_**

_Holy shit._

**_Satou Rikido_**

_ Urarara Tsuyu he's holding a GOOSE ?_

**_Todoroki Shouto_**

_I hope their phones are just dead._

**_Hagakure Tooru_**

_Me too._

**_Tsuyu_**

_Ochako and I are safe._

**_Hagakure Tooru_**

_OH THANK GOD_

**_Tsuyu_**

_Midori is the one mentioned in the article._

**_Hagakure Tooru_**

_Oh_

_Oh no_

**_Shiozaki Ibara_**

_You… must have seen him. I'm so sorry._

**_Alien Queen~~_**

_Oh shit, Tsuyu_

**_Kirishima Eijirou_**

_Oh man that sucks I'm so sorry_

**_heroes or bust!_**

**_Ojiro Mashirao_**

_[link to article: PANIC IN KIYASHI WARD SHOPPING MALL]_

_The student mentioned in it is Izuku. None of us know anything more about everything than the article does._

**_general tomfoolery_**

**_Shinsou Hitoshi_**

_Just heard from Ojiro in 1-A that Midoriya was the student hurt at Kiyashi Ward_

**_Yamazaki Kyou_**

_Kiyashi Ward?_

**_Shinsou Hitoshi_**

_[link to article: PANIC IN KIYASHI WARD SHOPPING MALL]_

**_Yamazaki Kyou_**

_Oh_

_Thanks for letting us know_

Shouta and Hizashi go visit Midoriya the next day, after classes are over and Hizashi's had time to wash the gel out of his hair. Nemuri comes with them, sliding into the back seat of the car. They don't speak much on the way over.

They sign in at the front desk and, after being cleared, head to Midoriya's room.

"There's the two-visitor limit," Hizashi says as the guards outside it check their IDs. "Nemuri and I will wait out here."

Shouta nods and steps inside.

The two guards inside the room are tucked away in separate corners, silent, anonymous. Inko sits in the one chair, and she looks up slowly as he enters.

"Oh," she says. "Aizawa."

"Midoriya," he replies, inclining his chin towards her before he turns his attention to the form of his student, unconscious on the bed. The hiss and click of the ventilator, the beeps and noises of the various machines fill the room. Midoriya looks… small, almost unnaturally still. He's wearing a cervical collar, the front open so that he can see the bandages wrapped around his neck.

Shouta walks to the medical chart on the end of the bed and quickly flips through it.

…Midoriya's lucky he's a U.A. student. Without the school's resources, he'd be looking at months of recovery, instead of just weeks. As it is, it's still going to be a difficult road. He replaces the chart and glances back up at his student. Midoriya's unconscious at the moment and there's nothing Shouta can do about that, so he turns his attention to the mother.

She looks… exhausted, like every drop of energy has been squeezed out of her. Of course she's wrung out, her son just almost died. There's dark circles under her eyes and her skin seems desaturated and grey, like all the color's been sucked out of her. Even her hair, somehow, seems less green than it should be, like its faded dye.

(He ignores the little voice in the back of his head that's telling him he's just as tired as she looks. He's already taken the week off from patrolling, he can go have his breakdown once he gets _home_.)

"How are you holding up?" he asks.

She sighs.

"That well, huh?" his voice is flat, but she still catches the tinge of humor, exhaling sharply through her nose and shaking her head.

"Of all the things I was expecting him to get hurt doing, going shopping with his friends was not one of them." She shakes her head, her bangs falling loose, and she tucks them back to her ear. "It just…" she sighs. "I've been expecting that he'd get hurt eventually, especially after what happened to Tensei and his brother, but I… I wasn't expecting it like _this_."

"I understand," Shouta replies. "No one was expecting this."

How could they have expected it? The USJ had been, supposedly, a one-off attack. The League of Villains was there to target _All Might_, specifically. His students? They were just collateral damage.

Midoriya wasn't even _involved_.

So why had Shigaraki chosen _him_?

Was it because Midoriya was the only student isolated, on his own? Was it convenience, or something else?

Will Midoriya have the answers when he wakes up, or will they be left in the dark?

**i haven't been in a hospital since i was a young child so please suspend disbelief for hospital scenes**

**Me, planning this fic: and then Shigaraki, who is even more off his shits than in canon, actually does start to decay Izuku's neck**

**Me, two weeks later, researching laryngotracheal trauma: wait no that's deadly**

**Me, a poor dumbass who only knows feet and inches, writing a story that takes place in Japan: h-how long is? Is a meter?**

**the way Aizawa answers his phone with "go" is definitely from a Zits comic somewhere but i can't remember which strip #**

**thank you to everyone who reads, reviews, faves, and follows!**

**(x-posted on ao3, username: orkestrations)**

**(expected update: Friday, 1 May, 2020)**


	21. i can't believe i miss kicking your ass

**warnings: hospitals, questioning/statement-giving, discussions and ruminations on a near-death experience**

Izuku returns to consciousness in fits and spurts. Some awareness here. A minute or two there.

It's dark outside the first time he's awake for more than a couple minutes. His mother is there, sitting in the chair next to his bed and reading a book. Her hair is pulled back in a high ponytail, her bangs pinned out of her face by a couple of bright, colored hairclips that are _definitely_ Izuku's, and in two separate corners stand two separate police officers, their mouths set in serious lines. All the people in the room noted, his awareness turns to himself. He can't move his neck, but that fact is overshadowed by how much his nose itches. His arm feels heavy and distant as he lifts it towards his face.

The tips of his fingers meet… tape?

"Izuku, don't mess with that," his mom says, reaching over and pulling his hand away from his face. She seems… unsurprised? Less… excited about his regained consciousness—_oh_. Oh yeah. He tried to pull the NG tube out at some point, he thinks, in one of his earlier spurts of proto-consciousness.

His body, like everything else, feels… distant. He's floating, almost, like Uraraka's used her quirk on him except he knows she hasn't because he's definitely in the bed. It's… probably painkillers. That's… that's a good thing, considering…

Considering what he remembers.

It seems like his mom, satisfied with having prevented him from pulling out the NG tube (or pulling off the tape), is about to let his hand go.

How about she _doesn't_ do that. He tightens his grip (read: he actually grips back; his hand had been pretty limp there), and she squeezes back, gently, before leaving her hand there, fingers wrapped around his palm.

He manages a couple minutes in the quiet of the room before he squeezes her hand to get her attention. This time, she's a little surprised, her eyes widening slightly as she looks over. Maybe because he's still conscious? Well. Whatever. It's too quiet, so he carefully pulls his hand away from her and, somewhat clumsily, lifts his hands to sign. It's slow going, because his body doesn't quite feel right and there's an oximeter on one finger and. Like. IVs and stuff. But he asks her what she's reading.

She laughs, one quiet, small chuckle, and wipes the back of her hand over her eyes.

"Alright," she says. "It's a treatise, published, oh, about two years ago, cross-examining various kinds of quirk stigma in different cultures…"

Detective Tsukauchi introduces himself in both sign and spoken word. Izuku's mom can't be there, considering she still has work (ignoring the fact that Hisashi could literally support all three of them comfortably on his paycheck alone, Izuku got his tendency to Cope By Doing from her), so it's a good thing the detective knows sign.

"I'm here to ask you about the incident at the Kiyashi Ward shopping mall," Tsukauchi says after he's sat down and set up his notebook. "You're free to refuse any question you don't want to answer. We can take this at your own pace and take a break at any time. Do you understand?"

Izuku's not exactly capable of nodding at that moment, so he signs a quick "yes". He's sitting cross-legged on the bed, and his hands, when not signing, rest on his thighs.

(His neck hurts, even through all the painkillers. It's the back that hurts more than the front, strangely, but that might be because some of his _bone_ got decayed there. Who knows?)

"Can you start by explaining how you ended up on your own?"

That's easy enough.

"Everyone split up," he signs, "and then it was only me and Uraraka. She said she needed bug spray and then ran off for some reason?"

He tries to push as much of his confusion into his signing and expression as possible. Seriously. Why did Uraraka run off like that? Last he knew, they were friends.

Tsukauchi nods. "What happened next?

Uh… "I thought about trying to catch up with another group but they were very fast. And then…" he pauses, his hands stilling for a moment. "And then he showed up, talking about… Talking about, U.A, and… and recognizing me as a U.A. student from the Sports Festival."

"Can you explain who 'he' refers to?"

He pauses, for a long moment before signing three letters, "USJ", and pointing at his neck.

"Did he tell you about the USJ?"

"No," Izuku signs, a hard no. "He said he knew my classmates but not me. This was after he…" he gestures at his throat again. "Threat."

"Can you explain, for the record, what you mean by," Tsukauchi gestures to his throat, a mimic of Izuku's motion, "threat?"

"He put his hand on my neck," Izuku signs, and then makes the sign that roughly stands for 'five-point quirk user _deliberately_ not activating their quirk, as in a threatening manner', holding his right hand up with the middle finger down and then placing it against his chest, grounding the first knuckle of his middle finger against his sternum.

"Did he tell you what his quirk was?"

"Later," Izuku signs.

Tsukauchi nods. "What happened after he put his hand on your throat?"

"He said I caught his attention. That was when he said he knew my classmates and not me, so I asked, and he confirmed that he was at the USJ," Izuku replies.

"What happens next?"

Izuku thinks for a moment.

"He told me to act natural. After that, he grabbed my left wrist in his other hand." He makes the middle-finger down sign again. "And then he told me what his quirk was."

"What did he say his quirk was?"

"He said if all five fingers…" he stops. "If all five fingers touched my skin, I… I can't remember the exact word he used. Disintegrate? And something about…" What did he say after that… Disintegrate wasn't quite right, either, but close enough… "Something about a minute? A time limit? Or… Or no. No, it was, I'd be dust in a minute, that's what he said."

"So, he explains his quirk to you. What happens next?"

"We talk about… quirks. Public quirk use. Something about… anyone could just use their quirks at any time? He said something about… about laws, and morals, and… and laws assume people have morals? I think that's what he said. And… he said before he got caught, he could kill twenty or thirty people."

Tsukauchi's eyebrows raise, and he writes several things down.

"I asked him what he wanted," Izuku continues. "And he said he wanted to have… a conversation." He resists the urge to shudder. That had _not_ been a conversation. "So after that, he walks me over to a bench, and he says… he says he hates everything, especially Stain, and asks me what the difference between them is. So I'm like… I've never met him, so why are you asking me, and then he offers to introduce us. He… asked me to come with him."

"Did he say why?"

"Beyond the Stain thing?" Izuku asks, and Tsukauchi nods. "Yes. He said my quirk… reminded him of his master."

Izuku pauses. There's… well, in reality, the man's master could be… anyone. But. Well. He'd bet money that he knows exactly who the man's master is."

"What happens next?" Tsukauchi asks.

"I… asked about his master," Izuku replies. "He said he…" Ugh. He wishes he could actually groan right now, because he can't remember exactly what the man said next. "He said something like, he couldn't explain his master, or, or, his master was too great to explain, or something, and…" Izuku pauses, shakes the hand that doesn't have the blood oximeter, and continues. "He said his master was greater than All Might, and that his master saved him."

Wait.

No.

That's not right.

"His master saved him, he said," Izuku corrects, "where All Might _wouldn't_." He puts stress into the sign, the same way he would vocally.

"So I tell him, there's no way for All Might to physically save everyone. You know. He's human. And so, the man is like, maybe I should start killing people, and then… I ask him, why All Might? Or something like that. And he said All Might is everything he hates. I… can't quite remember _exactly_ what happens next, but he compares All Might to… the popular kid? He said that… everything's hollow."

Izuku stops. His hands are shaking. The next moments are… almost perfect, in their clarity.

"He said the peace was hollow. Everyone was… happy, but he and I were there, and he was threatening me, and no one was looking. He said All Might was like that. That he… doesn't look deeper."

Izuku stops again. Both guards had been removed from the room for this, so it's just him and Tsukauchi. The blinds are open, and he glances at the window, at the blue sky beyond.

"He wondered if people would look closer if he made it obvious," he signs. He points at his neck. "And then he left. I think."

Izuku can barely remember much of what comes next, other than the pain, but he does remember the first responder with the white hair.

He does remember Tsuyu.

"Can you give me a physical description of the man?" Tsukauchi asks.

"He had most of his skin covered—gloves, surgical mask, long sleeves," Izuku replies. "His hair was… blue? Light blue, maybe white? And he had… His skin was pretty pale." He pauses. "His eyes were red."

_Something_ slips in Tsukauchi's expression, and Izuku asks, "do you know his name?"

"Shigaraki Tomura," Tsukauchi replies. "He was the leader behind the USJ attack, yes. I believe I have everything I need from you now." He pulls a business card out of his pocket and holds it out to Izuku, who takes it. "If you remember anything else, call that number or send an email."

Izuku sets the card down on the bedside table and signs, "okay".

"Thank you for your cooperation," Tsukauchi says as he stands, and the professionalism drops for a moment. "I hope you have a swift and easy recovery."

"Thank you," Izuku signs, and his guards return as Tsukauchi leaves.

Oh. Oh, the lack of privacy and the boredom are going to _kill_ him. He's been moved out of the ICU, thankfully, so he's getting his phone back this evening, but that's no use if the boredom is going to get to him before then. He's tried talking to his guards. Ikeda and Maki, the morning guards, were more than willing to chat with him, using Ikeda's rudimentary knowledge of JSL and a notebook, but the afternoon guards were _soooo_ much more uptight, barely even telling him their names.

To make things even worse, he now knows the _date_, and, well, he's sixteen now? Hooray? His birthday present was giving a _statement_ yesterday, apparently. What a wonderful way to celebrate his birthday: almost dying and then a hospital stay.

His afternoon guards hadn't even shown him mercy after he told them that yesterday had been his birthday.

Luckily, boredom doesn't kill him before his mom arrives that evening with Aizawa, Yamada, and Kayama in tow. The first thing she does is pass him his phone, and he sighs through his nose and cradles it to his chest in a way that's _maybe_ a smidgeon overdramatic.

"Thank you," he signs after he puts his phone down. "I was _so bored_. These jerks wouldn't even _talk_ to me." He jabs his thumb in the direction of the two jerks in question. He doesn't know if they know sign, and he doesn't care; they left him to wallow in his boredom.

"Oh, is that so?" Yamada asks. "How terrible."

"The worst," Izuku agrees.

The teachers can only stay for about half an hour, considering they have grading and lesson planning and other jobs to do. Aizawa hands over the assignments Izuku's missed from the past few days, along with copies of _several_ classmates' notes.

Then the three teachers leave, and Izuku is (almost) alone with his mom. She talks about her day, some of the funnier antics of her patients (with information properly censored, of course), some of her more memorable coworker interactions.

And then, sadly, it's time for his mother to leave so she can have dinner and get some sleep.

That leaves Izuku alone (except for his night guards).

Or.

Well.

He has his phone (and a charger) now.

**_Class 1-EYYYYY_**

**_me_**

_Out of: Phone Jail. Phone privileges: Restored_

**_Alien Queen~~_**

_MIDORIYA! Mr. Aizawa said you were getting your phone back tonight!_

**_Kirishima Eijirou_**

_HEY MAN!_

**_Chargebolt_**

_…Phone Jail?_

**_me_**

_No phones in ICU [slightly frowning face]_

_I actually got out of the ICU yesterday but my mom forgot to bring my phone [slightly frowning face]_

**_Class Mom 3_**

_It's good to hear from you! I'm glad you're out of the ICU. How are you doing?_

**_me_**

_I am So Very Bored. Or, well, I WAS [winking face]_

_Also thank you everyone who sent copies of your notes. Much appreciated_

**_Shiozaki Ibara_**

_Of course! I hope they help._

**_Kirishima Eijirou_**

_Yeah! Anytime, man!_

**_Chargebolt_**

_My notes are probably useless but Mina and Kirishima both thought you'd appreciate my doodles!_

**_me_**

_[face with open mouth] doodles?_

_OH_

_Oh these are so cute_

**_Tsuyu_**

_It's good to hear from you, Midori_

**_me_**

_Thank you, Tsuyu [smiling face with smiling eyes]_

**_general tomfoolery_**

**_me_**

_Hey! I have my phone back. Send memes_

**_Yamazaki Kyou_**

_Please try not to get almost killed again. You jackass._

**_me_**

_I can make no promises_

**_heroes or bust!_**

**_Ojiro Mashirao_**

_Izuku's had his phone privileges restored [slightly smiling face]_

**_me_**

_HEY_

_RUDE_

**_Wakana Nakano_**

_[loudly crying face] [loudly crying face] [loudly crying face]_

_Missed you [loudly crying face]_

**_me_**

_[green heart] [green heart] [green heart]_

_I missed you too_

**_Shinsou Hitoshi_**

_You were unconscious for like three days_

**_me_**

_More like… 48 hours? Ish?_

_I was out from Sunday afternoon. Unconscious all of Monday. Really woke up for the first time Tuesday evening_

_I just was still in ICU yesterday._

_And then didn't have my phone yet today._

**_Shinsou Hitoshi_**

_I am corrected_

**_Koizumi Hiraku_**

_It's good to hear from you again Izuku [slightly smiling face] I hope your recovery goes well and I see you soon!_

**_Shibayama Ichihei_**

_Me, too. Take it easy_

**_Roka Aomi_**

_But take it!_

It's tough to spend much time on his phone. His neck is still in that damn cervical collar and will be for a while still. The doctors are hopeful that he'll be able to take it off before he leaves, that the bone grafts and his vertebrae will be healed enough for that, and with the pile of various healing quirks they're throwing at him, he'd be surprised if they _weren't_.

His bones aren't the only things that needed grafts. The surgeons had to rebuild parts of his trachea, and if it weren't for the quirks of the first responders, the EMTs, the surgeons, then Izuku would be dead.

If Tsuyu hadn't managed to talk him into releasing his quirk, he'd be dead.

Most of the time between Shigaraki using his quirk on him and him passing out in the ambulance has devolved into a blur of pain and terror and choking, but not Tsuyu. Tsuyu is still clear. He's doing his best to keep those moments clear, crisp in his memory, because they're _Important_.

Izuku has also looked over the notes his classmates sent him. Yaoyorozu, Shiozaki, Kaminari, Tokoyami, Jirou, Uraraka, and Mashirao all sent copies of their notes, and between all seven of them, he feels like he has a complete overview of the material covered.

So, he studies, stalks hero forums and news networks, texts his friends, and tries to ignore the fact that he still can't use his voice.

It… The situation with his voice is complicated. His voice might recover, or it might not. The doctors don't know, the speech therapist doesn't know, no one knows. He can… _kind of_ use it. It's kind of there, but actually not really there. He gets a few breathy, raspy words a day and that's _it_. If he strains his voice, then that's that and it's probably never coming back.

So. Well. He tries not to think about that.

He tries not to think about what he's going to look like when the bandages come off.

It's in this state of definitely-not-thinking-about-his-voice-but-actually-that's-all-he-can-think-about that Yonaga visits. The knock on the door jerks him out of his spiraling thoughts and he looks over as it opens, Yonaga stepping through. They walk over to the chair next to Izuku's bed and sit down, groaning as they stretch their bad leg out.

"Hey kid," they say. "First hospital stay, huh? You gotten to the 'clawing your own eyes out for something to do' point yet?"

In response, he holds up his phone and points to his homework.

"Ah," they nod. "I see."

"I did get really bored yesterday," he adds. "Those two wouldn't even talk with me. I'm not sure they know sign."

Yonaga nods. "Yeah. So. You wanna hear about my first hospital stay?"

"Yes," Izuku signs.

"Okay, so," Yonaga says, shifting in the chair so they're sitting up straight. They hold their hands out in front of them, long fingers spread wide. "I'm 18, 19, fresh out of high school and still working under a mentor. We're investigating a quirk trafficking ring…"

Shinsou, Wakana, Yamazaki, and Mori visit Izuku on Saturday afternoon, the four of them taking the train over after their class let out.

"Normally I bring cookies to my friends," Mori says as she walks in the door, "but you said you can't have solid foods yet, so I made you a bracelet instead!" She holds it up. It's a thick woven bracelet, a chevron of red, black, green, and gold stripes. "We asked Ojiro, and he said these were the colors on your hero suit!"

Oh… Oh gosh. Oh. Oh, _Mori_… He's starting to tear up, and he throws his right arm out towards her so she can clip it onto his wrist.

"Thank you so much, I love it," he signs.

"He says thank you and he loves it," Wakana translates for the other three.

"So," Shinsou starts. Yamazaki has already claimed one chair, and Wakana the other, so that leaves Shinsou to plop himself down next to Izuku while Mori claims the end of the bed. Izuku shifts so he can see all four of them without too much turning.

"You haven't said much about," Shinsou gestures, "how bad your injuries are. You…" he pauses, shrugs, rubs the back of his neck with one hand, "don't have to tell us anything if you don't want to, but I am curious."

Izuku worries at his bottom lip, a habit he seems to have picked up in place of filler words. "So there's my spine," he starts, and points, helpfully, at the back of his neck. Wakana translates, speaking in fits and spurts as he signs. "Bits of my cervical vertebrae got disintegrated, but thankfully I negated it before it could reach my spinal cord and cause even bigger problems."

Yamazaki winces.

"I have… some nerve damage back there, from where the quirk ate through my muscles. Not sure the extent of it until the cervical collar comes off. That's mostly it for the back of my neck, where his thumb was, but the real gory stuff is in the front."

"He put a hole in my trachea and I may never get my voice back. And if my voice _does_ recover, there's almost a 100% chance that it's going to be…" he shrugs as best he can with the collar there. "You know."

"How is the trachea thing gorier than the spine thing?" Mori asks, tilting her head.

…

"Well, I could have drowned on my own blood, so there's that," Izuku replies. It takes Wakana several moments to translate, and she's beginning to look a little queasy.

"How long do you think you're going to be in the hospital?" Yamazaki grabs the conversation and moves it in a different direction, her dark eyes flicking in Wakana's direction for just a moment.

"Assuming there's no sudden rejection of any grafts or anything like that, I'll probably go home tomorrow. They're going to do some last checks of my spine and hopefully they'll say I can get the collar removed before they release me." He pauses, and then continues. "Probably the only reason they kept me for so long was to make sure the healing quirks were working well together. I probably could've left… a day or two ago, to be honest."

Yamazaki nods. "It's a little ridiculous how much they're putting into speeding up your recovery. I would've thought you'd be out for months."

"Yeah," Shinsou agrees. "It's… good that you're not, but still."

"It's… a U.A. thing?" Izuku shrugs with his hands, like 'what are you gonna do'. "I'm in the hero course, and I _did_ win the Sports Festival. I think they're trying to make it so it has as little impact on my schooling as possible."

"So in other words, you're a star student and a good investment!" Mori chirps, and Izuku sharply exhales through his nose.

"Yeah, I think that about sums it up," he agrees.

"Well," Mori says, leaning over and putting a hand on Izuku's shin. She smiles softly, the bright energy in her purple eyes softening a bit to something warmer. "I'm glad you're recovering quickly, no matter the reason."

"Thank you," Izuku signs, and then he pats her hand.

"I agree with Mori," Wakana adds, her lips curling into a smile of her own. And then, after a moment, she lets it grow into a soft grin, sharp teeth on display. "I hope you'll be back and sparring with us soon!"

"Yeah," Shinsou frowns. "I can't believe I miss getting my ass kicked by you."

"I can't believe I miss kicking your ass," Izuku replies. Shinsou smacks his shoulder and then freezes.

"Was. Was that okay?" he asks, and Izuku rolls his eyes.

"I'm not fragile." He pauses. "Well. My neck still is. But that was okay."

Shinsou nods. "Alright."

Conversation turns away from Izuku's injuries towards the sort of things they're doing in class, some gossip about how Adachihara and Oshiro almost got in a fight and Midnight had to separate them, things like that. At one point, Izuku shows them some of the doodles of 1-A that Kaminari made in his notes. Most of them are cute or funny, but there's one at the back of all nineteen of them that's just plain heartwarming. They're there for about an hour all told when they leave because a) they still have homework and b) some of Izuku's friends from Class 1-A are coming and, sadly, there's only so much space in the hospital room.

As it is, only Mashirao, Jirou, Uraraka, and Tsuyu come. Mashirao's the first one into the room and he happily sits on the end of Izuku's bed, where Mori had been sitting. Mashirao sits with his legs tucked to the side, his tail wrapped around them, in a way that's reminiscent of cats. Jirou flops herself into the chair Yamazaki had been in, and there's a moment of awkward shuffling before Uraraka takes Wakana's chair and Tsuyu crouches on the bed.

"Thanks for coming!" Izuku signs. Mashirao is his interpreter now.

"Sure thing," Jirou replies, a wry smile on her face. She reaches down and pulls something out of her bag. It's a purple folder with sheets of copied notes in it. "Here's today's notes."

"Thank you," Izuku replies before taking the folder from her and setting it on his table. He smiles at her before turning towards Mashirao and asking, "did anything exciting happen? Adachihara and Oshiro in 1-C almost got into a fight today."

"Nothing as interesting as that," Mashirao replies, and then he smiles. "Aoyama did accidentally smack Hagakure, though!"

Jirou snorts. "Oh, yeah, he did. He was striking a pose and wasn't watching where he was flinging his hands around."

Izuku winces. "Poor Hagakure."

Conversation continues. Izuku, Mashirao, and Jirou are the ones driving it, which strikes him as a little odd. Tsuyu's a normally quiet person, but usually she has _something_ to say, while Uraraka's silence is just plain out of character for her.

So, after fifteen or twenty minutes of this, Izuku kicks Jirou and Mashirao out.

"Do you think I could have a couple minutes with Uraraka and Tsuyu?" he asks.

"Sure," Jirou agrees, grabbing Mashirao's upper arm and pulling him out of the room as Izuku opens his text-to-speech app.

"Okay, what's wrong?" he asks.

"Ochako's feeling guilty," Tsuyu says, and Uraraka nods, looking miserable.

Izuku frowns. "Okay, what for?"

"Well, I left you alone," she starts, "and then—Tsuyu and I saw him, saw Shigaraki with you and, and I couldn't do _anything_."

"You called the detective," Tsuyu corrects.

"You don't have anything to feel guilty about." Izuku types with one hand while he reaches over to place the other on Uraraka's bicep.

"Yeah, but, I still left you alone," she says, burying her face in her hands. "And for the _stupidest_ reason, too."

He blinks. "The stupidest reason?" he asks, removing his hand from her arm, and Uraraka groans.

"Yes," she says. "It's… oh, it's so _stupid_."

"I doubt it's really that stupid," he says.

"Aoyama suggested I might have a crush on you and then when were left alone I got really flustered and ran off," Uraraka blurts out.

Well… Huh. Okay.

"Aoyama can mind his own damn business," he replies, drawing a snort out of her. "Do you have a crush on me, though?"

She shrugs. "Maybe? But it doesn't matter, I don't want a relationship with anyone at the moment."

"That's fair. For what it's worth, I don't think it's a stupid reason," he adds. Uraraka looks over, and he meets her eyes for a moment before turning his attention back to what he's typing. "And thank you for calling the detective. I'm sure it helped." He glances back up in time to see Uraraka nod.

"I… yeah. Yeah," she says, scrubbing the back of her hand over her eyes. "Yeah, of course."

"And Tsuyu," he turns to her.

"Yes?"

He takes a deep breath.

Speaks.

"Thank you."

His voice is barely there, and it hurts to speak, but… This is important, and if he can't sign to her, then he'll speak. Her eyes widen just a bit, and he types something into his app.

"Thank you for saving my life," he adds. "If you hadn't gotten me to release my quirk, I probably would have died en route. Thank you so much."

She doesn't speak for several moment, just staring at him.

"You don't need to thank me for saving your life," she says. "I'm just glad you're still with us."

His eyes start to sting, and he wipes them away with the side of his hand just a split second before both Uraraka and Tsuyu are there, pulling him gently into a hug.

**i would die for Mori Kazuko. she's absolutely precious and i love her**

**the word "cord": *exists***

**me, a music major: oh, do you mean chord?**

**seriously i misspelled spinal cord as "spinal chord" so many times akljshdfkljds**

**Izuku: Shigaraki may not have managed to kill me, but the boredom sure will finish the job!**

**Izuku: i'm not fragile**

**Izuku: *remembers that he had parts of his spine forcibly removed less than a week ago***

**Izuku: parts of me are fragile**

**the prose: "all nineteen of them"**

**me: *cries***

**hhnngnggnng i love these children so much. they're all so precious. someone come save them from me**

**(expected update date: Monday, 4 May, 2020)**


	22. there you are

**warnings: none, today!**

Izuku goes home the day he said he would. He's mostly healed, a result of the slew of healing quirks thrown in his direction, although he's still ordered to take it easy and still restricted to soft foods, at least until his follow-up appointment in a week.

He is… quite disappointed he misses out on the trip to I-Expo, but between the need to rest to recover and the fact that he's still a little fragile, his mother, Yonaga, and Aizawa all combined forces to make him stay home. He spends a lot of the time sleeping, curled up in his bed or on the couch.

The news of what happens at I-Expo doesn't hit until the day after. Izuku's in the living room, absent-mindedly doing arm curls with a light weight and typing half an essay in the form of a forum post on his phone with his other hand when the story comes on the news, which had been playing in the background on the TV.

_"—breaking news from I-Island, where last night, the opening gala of the I-Expo was attacked—"_

**_1-EYYYYY_**

**_me_**

_The news just broke here? What happened last night? Are all of you okay?_

**_sticky boy tape man_**

_Everyone's okay! I've seen everyone at least once today._

**_Alien Queen~~_**

_It's not going to be on the news, but a lot of people were involved in it last night._

**_Class Mom 3_**

_Ashido! We're not supposed to tell anyone about it!_

**_Alien Queen~~_**

_Yeah, but Midoriya's part of the class! And Kaminari already told me all about it_

**_Jirou Kyouka_**

_Kaminari was burnt out for most of it_

**_me_**

_Well, I'm glad to hear everyone's okay!_

**_Class Mom 3_**

_Yeah. No one was majorly injured._

**_Urarara_**

_Yeah, but Melissa's dad got kidnapped [crying face]_

**_me_**

_Yeah, the news is saying that someone was kidnapped, but they're not saying who._

**_Todoroki Shouto_**

_Probably for damage control._

**_Alien Queen~~_**

_TODOROKI_

**_sticky boy tape man_**

_TODOROKI_

**_me_**

_Damage control?_

**_Urarara_**

_TODOROKI_

**_Class Mom 3_**

_Damage control, because the person taken is Professor David Shield._

**_Satou Rikido_**

_TODOROKI_

**_me_**

_Holy SHIT_

_That… is not good_

**_Chargebolt_**

_What's with the reactions? It sucks that Melissa's dad was kidnapped but… I'm confused_

**_me_**

_Professor Shield is literally one of the best inventors and engineers of the last CENTURY_

_Imagine the kind of things villains can do with someone that skilled under their thumb_

**_Chargebolt_**

_Oh. That's uh. That's not good._

The class continues messaging, the notifications popping up, but all Izuku can do is lean back and… think. His classmates had been involved in the incident and the preeminent support item engineer on I-Island, if not the whole world, has been kidnapped out from under the noses of an island full of pro heroes.

What the hell is the fallout going to look like?

While Class 1-A is off at I-Island, Shinsou, Yamazaki, Mori, and the hero hopefuls group are commonly over at Izuku's place, hanging out, playing card games, and just being teenagers with each other. And after Class 1-A is back, Mashirao and Hiraku throw Izuku a belated birthday party at the dojo.

"I can't believe you've done this," Izuku signs to Mashirao as he watches Wakana, Hiraku, Ichihei, Aomi, and Shinsou set up the tables.

Mashirao shrugs. "Someone needed to. You deserve some birthday fun, even if we are a week and a half late for it."

"Well, I _was_ in the hospital, and then you were on an island, and I definitely don't want to have a birthday party you aren't invited to." Izuku nudges Mashirao with his elbow as he finishes.

It takes the taller boy a moment to reply. Izuku can see the pink tinging his cheeks.

"Thanks," he says.

Mashirao is saved from having to say anything more as the door opens, admitting Yamazaki and Mori. Mori is wearing a blue sundress, her hair pulled up into a messy-looking bun and braid that probably took a long time to do. Yamazaki, on the other hand, is wearing black cutoff shorts and a loose purple top over a tank top.

"Hey!" Mashirao waves and jogs over to the two girls, Izuku following at a walk.

"Hi!" Mori grins and waves. "Thanks for letting us know about Midoriya's birthday!"

"Thanks for coming!" Mashirao replies. Izuku echoes the sentiment in sign while Yamazaki walks off with Shinsou.

"Ah! You're still wearing it!" Mori points at Izuku's right wrist, where her bracelet is still attached.

"Of course!" he replies. "Why would I take it off?"

Something… fragile comes across Mori's expression for a moment, before she smiles brightly. "Well, I'm assuming you take it off to shower! And to wash the dishes. And other occasions where it would get wet."

"Other than those," Izuku replies.

Uraraka is the next to show up, greeting Izuku with a hug. Izuku doesn't mind. He's a fairly tactile person, and honestly, she's a good hugger.

Once everyone's there, his party descends into chaos. It doesn't matter that Isozaki and Kazue are there to keep an eye on them. It's a party full of hero students (plus Yamazaki and Mori), so of course things would devolve. Aside from the training group, Yamazaki, Mori, and Uraraka, there's Tsuyu, Jirou, Tokoyami, Sero, Shouji, and Yaoyorozu, as well as Tokage and Yanagi from Class 1-B.

The party consists of cake, ice cream, and card games. At one point, while Aomi's shuffling the deck, Yaoyorozu posits a question.

"So Midoriya," she says. "Will you be coming to the training camp?"

There's a pause. So far, his injury and the effects thereof haven't been brought up during the party. This is Yaoyorozu crossing that unspoken line.

"We're not sure yet," he signs. Yaoyorozu knows JSL, so Mashirao's translation isn't for her but for everyone else. "We're waiting on my follow-up appointment and keeping an eye on how my healing progresses, so whether I go or not will depend a lot on how I feel in a couple weeks."

"I see." She dips her head for a moment. "I hope you're well enough to come with us."

Everyone around them echoes the sentiment.

"Thank you," he replies. "Me too."

No one asks any more questions about his injury. No one questions the fact he still has bandages winding around his throat (even though he'd already been given the all-clear to exist without them).

Instead they focus on the games they're playing and the moments they're having.

"Do you still need the bandages?" Yonaga is the first to ask him, during their first meeting after Izuku's hospital stay. His mother hasn't asked. His friends haven't asked. Aizawa probably would ask, but Izuku hasn't seen him yet since he's been released from the hospital.

Izuku's hands come up to sign and he pauses. That's enough of an answer for Yonaga, but they wait, silver eyes watching him without a hint of judgment.

"No, I don't need them," Izuku finally replies. But maybe other people do. He remembers the sharp inhale from his mom, the first time she had been there while his bandages were getting changed. Although they are probably… _less_, now, given the time and sheer amount of healing that has happened.

They'll be worse than they could've been, though. The doctor had confessed to him and his mother, at one point, that they had been more concerned with a) keeping Izuku alive and b) speeding up his recovery, and by the time they realized they could be doing more to minimize scarring, he was beyond the point those measures would help.

So.

His neck is pretty fucked up.

"So, if you don't need them…" Yonaga trails off for a moment, taking the time to watch their student's face. "Then why don't we take them off?"

Izuku freezes, his hands stopped halfway between at rest and signing. Yonaga's watching him, that careful look in their eyes. Izuku… thinks he might reply. He almost has a reply, until he glances down.

Yonaga's wearing shorts. Izuku hadn't thought much of it. It's the middle of July. Temperatures are soaring.

But… he's _never_ seen Yonaga wear shorts before now. It's always loose pants, and occasionally black leggings or skinny jeans with a slim, unobtrusive brace over them on their right knee.

Never shorts.

He can see why.

Yonaga's right leg is a mess of scar tissue, some of the darker, angrier scars spiraling up from their ankle, over their knee, disappearing under the hem of their shorts as they made their way up towards their hip bone. The ever-present brace is there, a slightly different kind than normal. Some of the scars are straight, paler, surgery scars compared to… The spiral-type scarring must be from some type or quirk, and Izuku… he swears he recognizes it, but he's not sure where from.

Compared to their right leg, their left leg is much less mutilated. There's maybe one surgery scar there and much less of the quirk-related spiraling. Their cane is propped up next to them on the bench, painted purple with various sorts of star stickers on it.

Okay.

Izuku nods.

They're meeting, as always, in one of the side rooms at Isozaki and Kazue's dojo. Which is important, because there's an entire wall of mirrors.

Izuku has not seen his own scars yet.

He communicates as much, his hands beginning to shake as he forms the signs.

"That's okay," Yonaga says, reaching up and slowly, gently, taking Izuku's hands in their own, their long, thin fingers snaking around Izuku's much smaller hands. "It's a change, a big one, and not one that you had a choice in. I get it."

They do.

They must.

So Izuku slowly pulls one hand away and reaches up, unwinding the length of fabric from his neck and letting it drop. The air on his skin is almost too much to handle. He shudders, resisting the urge to duck his head, hide his scars, _protect his vulnerability_—

"There." Yonaga reaches up and brushes Izuku's hair back from his forehead, a motion filled with so much tenderness it almost hurts. There's a soft smile curling the corners of their lips now, reaching their eyes and softening the intensity of their gaze. "There you are."

Izuku's eyes flick up, away from Yonaga's face, to look in the mirror.

There he is.

The scarring on his neck is still red, angry, new. He can vaguely see the outline of four fingerprints, the epicenters of the destruction, injury seeming to radiate out from them. It takes up most of the front of his neck, mostly on the right side, reaching from clavicle to jawbone.

He can't see the scar on the back, but he reaches up and ghosts his fingers over it. He almost flinches from his own touch, feather light as it is. There's the rough surface of decay, a straight line from surgery, the thumbprint, the epicenter.

Underneath his fingers, synthetic bone has taken the place of what were once parts of his vertebrae.

He shivers.

Yonaga sighs, dragging Izuku's attention back to them. They look… tired, the skin around their eyes tightening, their lips thinning as they look off to the side.

As if feeling Izuku's attention return to them, they look back up, their expression softening back into that gentle smile.

"I'm proud of you," they say, and something in his chest releases as tears prick at his eyes. "You're handling this like a champ, and I am _so_ glad you're still alive."

The dam breaks, and Yonaga pulls Izuku to them as he cries. It's only a few minutes, maybe, that the two of them spend there, Yonaga sitting on their bench, Izuku next to them as he cries. Izuku maybe doesn't have that many tears left to cry, or maybe he's just getting started.

But, eventually, this bout of crying comes to a conclusion, and he pulls away, sniffling and wiping away the remaining wetness around his eyes with the back of his hand. His neck still feels naked, vulnerable, _exposed_, but he'll just have to get used to that.

He taps Yonaga's shoulder twice. They turn their head to look at him, eyebrow raised in questioning.

"Did you hear about what happened at the I-Expo?" Izuku asks, and Yonaga frowns.

"I haven't heard the whole story, no. I'm very much retired so I'm not exactly a priority to inform, but I know the basics."

"Do you know my classmates were involved?"

Yonaga snorts, shaking their head. "No I did not. I take it they told you about it?"

"Yeah, some bits," Izuku agrees, nodding. "I know that Professor Shield was involved, and they worked together with his daughter to rescue everyone held hostage—and him."

"Oh," Yonaga winces. "That's rough."

Izuku nods. "Yeah. One of the classmates involved was Uraraka."

"She was one of the ones who was there when you were attacked, wasn't she?"

"Yes, she was," Izuku confirms.

Yonaga nods. Their hands come together in their lap, index fingers tapping together. "That's rough," they say.

Izuku knows this, so he moves on. Uraraka has seemed… okay, so far, but. Well. You can't completely trust that! But she's not what he wants to really talk about at the moment.

"I was wondering… what you think the fallout of this will be? The news hasn't broke that it was _Professor Shield_, yet, but it can't stay secret forever."

Yonaga inhales, holds it, and sighs it out. "That… is a complicated question." They look away from Izuku, staring at some undefined point in space. "People are already getting concerned, considering _someone_ was kidnapped off one of the most secure places on Earth, out from under the noses of hundreds of pro heroes. If they found out exactly who got kidnapped?" They leave the question hanging.

The implications are enough. Their eyes flick back to Izuku, waiting for his reply.

"Thank you," Izuku signs. "For everything."

"Of course," Yonaga replies. They smile, warm, their eyes closing briefly. "It's been my pleasure."

That wraps up their meeting. Izuku winds up his bandages into a tight coil and stuffs them in his backpack. Yonaga stands, stretching their arms over their head before picking up their cane.

Together, they exit the room and walk into the main part of the dojo. Isozaki is there, working with some older students. Some of their eyes linger, but Isozaki barely glances at them.

"Thursday, Midoriya?" she asks.

"I'm not sure if I'll be able to spar, but I'll be here," he replies, and she nods.

"See you then," she says, and that's that. Izuku and Yonaga leave, Isozaki recollects the attention of her class, and Izuku and Yonaga pause outside the door to the dojo.

That wasn't so bad.

Of course, that was Isozaki, and not everyone has her level of just doesn't give a shit.

Izuku takes a steadying breath and turns to wave at Yonaga before signing. "We'll see you on Friday?"

"Of course," they reply. "I wouldn't dream of missing it!"

He smiles at them. "See you then," he signs.

"Yeah. And, hey, remember to keep your chin up," they say. "You're here. You made it. You don't have to hide it." Izuku nods as they wave. "I'll see you Friday."

Friday rolls around with Kayama, Yamada, and Aizawa busting into the Midoriya apartment a couple hours early. They've moved their customary Sunday night family dinner to Friday this week, given that Aizawa needs to spend the next couple days preparing for the training camp.

Izuku and his mom are in the kitchen, washing lunch's dishes together when the three of them arrive, letting themselves in with Aizawa's key, calling out greetings as they pause to change into house slippers.

"Oh! You're here early!" Inko says, moving into the front room, leaving Izuku holding a dish towel and the plate he's drying.

"Yeah! We're here to help!" Kayama says. She strides her way into the kitchen, setting a bag with cookies in it down on the counter. "We're here to clean, help cook, whatever you need, really! Hi, Izuku!"

"Hi," he says, setting down the plate and towel and waving at her. She turns and grins, looking him over. He can see her eyes pause on his neck just long enough to register and take in the appearance of the scars there before continuing on.

"Well, hey, has your speech therapist given you the all-clear?" she asks, and Izuku shakes his head.

"No," he signs. "I still need to limit how much I use my voice, but I have exercises and I can do _some_ small amounts of talking."

"So you're following your therapist's instructions?" Kayama asks, one eyebrow raised. "You're not straining yourself beyond your capabilities?"

Izuku rolls his eyes. "Yes, _mom_. Does _everyone_ know about the ankle incident?"

"Yes," Kayama replies, her lips twitching up with a twist of dark amusement. "Shouta was very vocal in complaining about it."

"Well, I learned my lesson then," Izuku signs. "And I am following my therapists' instructions to the fucking letter. I even sat out sparring last night and just did exercises with Mrs. Ojiro the whole time."

"Hey, that's great! Maybe you'll stand some chance of talking Shouta into letting you attend the training camp."

"I was already planning on him attending," Aizawa answers from the front room. "As long as his mother agreed."

Izuku can hear his mother's sigh. "Please, yes. I cannot imagine the sort of stir-crazy things he'd get up to if he was left here. I'll send you all the instructions from his therapists, too."

"Hear that, kid?" Kayama answers, a wide smirk on her face as she nudges his side with her elbow. "Shouta's not going to let you get away with _anything_."

"I'll just have to be really sneaky then," Izuku replies, and Kayama throws her head back and laughs.

"Oh, that's not a good laugh," Yamada says, finding his way into the kitchen. He doesn't sound concerned, though, and he has a smile when Izuku sees him. "What are you two up to?"

"Shouta's going to have to keep a close eye on this one," Kayama says, putting a hand on Izuku's shoulder. It's… a normal motion, something a lot of people do, but he still starts to flinch away, ducking his head. Kayama's expression turns… careful, as she watches him. He catches himself, takes a deep breath, summons up a small smile for her. He doesn't want to give up this sort of touch, not at all.

She meets his smile with one of his owns, gives his shoulder a squeeze, and then drops her hand.

"Shou always keeps a close eye on his students," Yamada replies.

"Well, yes," Kayama agrees, smirking over at him. "But he's going to have a hell of a time with this one! Anyways, you should get out there, Hizashi and I have these dishes." She puts her hands on his upper arms, steering him towards the front room with a loose grip. He lets her kick him out of the kitchen, making his way to where his mom and teacher are conversing in low voices.

"Ah, we were just about to call for you," his mom says, gesturing him over. He steps into place next to her, hands beginning to twist together in front of him for a moment before he signs.

"What do you need?"

"If you're coming to the training camp, there's going to need to be some ground rules," Aizawa says. He levels his gaze at Izuku, who nods.

"Okay. What are they?"

"First off, you need to listen to me and the other teachers there," Aizawa replies. "In light of everything that's happened, we've changed the location of the camp. Only a handful of instructors know where it is, but that's not a guarantee of anything. So that means, if anything, _anything_ happens, you _must_ listen to the orders any of the teachers there give you. You should at any time, even if nothing's happening. I'll be informing the other teachers that you will be attending and of your… tendencies."

"That was one time," Izuku signs.

Aizawa sighs. "That was more than one time. Anyways. You _will_ inform a teacher if something they are assigning you is too much. Information about your injuries that's relevant to your training will be shared, so they _should_ be able to use their judgment, but regardless. If you do happen to get assigned something you know you shouldn't do, you tell them, and if need be, come find me. Got it?"

Izuku nods.

"Good." Aizawa pauses. "I'm glad you'll be joining us."

Izuku grins, a bubbly feeling filling his chest.

"I'm glad to be tagging along."

**_heroes or bust!_**

**_me_**

_I just got the okay to go to the training camp!_

**_Ojiro Mashirao_**

_That's great!_

**_Shinsou Hitoshi_**

_i have an idea_

**_Roka Aomi_**

_oh no what is it_

**_Shinsou Hitoshi_**

_don't tell 1-A. just show up._

**_Nakano Wakana_**

_That's mean [slightly frowning face]_

**_Shinsou Hitoshi_**

_not really_

**_Ojiro Mashirao_**

_…Logical ruse?_

**_me_**

_pfft okay_

_Mashirao don't blow my cover_

**_Ojiro Mashirao_**

_I pinky-swear!_

**Canon is dead and i shot it behind the outhouse**

**anyways i've finally decided what to do with WTD Bakugou. got reminded that This Is My City Now so i just… yeeted most of canon Bakugou out the door, left him vaguely Bakugou-shaped, and slapped a whole bunch of headcanons onto him**

**the scene with Yonaga here too is also literally my favorite scene in the entire fic at the moment**

**(expected update day: Thursday, 7 May, 2020)**


	23. i'm available for kiss payments

**warnings: none**

Inko sees Izuku off at the dojo. Isozaki and Kazue are taking both Izuku and Mashirao, so he and his mom say their good-byes there, transferring Izuku's bags from Inko and Izuku's shoulders (the dojo is only a half hour's walk from their apartment, the only reason to drive would be to sleep in, and Izuku feels like it's better to just… not, considering he'll probably not be getting the chance to sleep in at all in the next week!) to the hatch of Isozaki and Kazue's car. Both boys are wearing their uniforms, although Izuku's gotten permission to forgo the tie for now. Within five minutes, Izuku and Mashirao are sitting in the back seat together, Kazue driving and Isozaki in the passenger seat as they head to U.A.

"I can't wait to see everyone's faces when they realize you're coming," the tip of Mashirao's tail is flicking back and forth, the boy actually holding the rest of it to keep it still.

"I know," Izuku signs back, grinning. "You'll be recording, right? Shinsou asked for video evidence."

"Of course," Mashirao agrees. "This week is going to be so awesome."

"It might actually kill us," Izuku agrees. "My sources say that Mr. Aizawa's planning hell for us." He smirks, something he seems to be picking up from Kayama, mostly. "Well, hell for _you._"

Mashirao laughs. "Shinsou's rubbing off on you."

"Not just him," Izuku replies. "Definitely Ms. Kayama, too. And Jirou."

The parents can't actually drive all the way to where the class is gathering to get on the bus, so Kazue drops them off on a side road to let them walk the rest of the way up. Mashirao hugs his moms, Isozaki yells at them to behave for their teachers, and the two of them walk the rest of the way.

They meet Sero on the way up. His face splits into a wide grin when he catches sight of them and he jogs over.

"Hey! Midoriya! You're coming!"

Izuku nods and grins back.

He can tell the exact moment Sero notices his scars. There's a falter in his smile, a bit of a wince, but thankfully nothing beyond that.

"That's super exciting," he continues. "How long have you known? You didn't say anything in the group chat!"

"Since Friday," Izuku signs. Mashirao translates. "One of my friends suggested surprising everyone and I took his advice."

"Hey, I think they had a pretty good idea," Sero says. "Start this trip off with a positive, huh?"

Mashirao nods, agreeing.

The three of them come around the corner together. The busses are there, Aizawa leaning against one in its shade with his arms crossed and head bowed. Maybe napping in place? There's commotion around the side, where the students are gathering, and Satou and Kirishima are putting people's bags under the bus. Class 1-B is gathering around the other bus.

"Hey! It's Ojiro and Sero!" That's Kaminari.

"And Midoriya!" And there's Ashido, practically screaming as she runs over. "You're coming on the trip!"

Izuku grins and nods. Ashido's actually signing _hello, it's good to see you_ to him as she comes to a stop in front of them.

"Hello, it's good to see you too!" he replies, making sure his signs are clear and precise. He's rewarded with a bright grin from her. The rest of the class waits for them to come over, but once they're there, Izuku's hardly left alone. Satou and Kirishima take their bags, Kirishima giving him a friendly punch on the shoulder.

Bakugou ignores him.

Tokoyami is the last student to arrive, running up to them at the last moment.

"I apologize," he says, handing his luggage to Satou. "My family was extra affectionate today and I could not escape."

With everything stowed, the students are finally allowed on the bus. Kaminari's gesturing to Mashirao, so Izuku pushes him in the other boy's direction and pairs himself off with Kouda. As one of the only other students (not counting Bakugou) who's fluent in sign, he's the natural option. They find themselves sitting towards the front, with Shouji, Tokoyami, Yaoyorozu, Jirou, Todoroki, and Shiozaki sitting nearest to them, creating a bubble of quiet around Aizawa and the bus driver.

The back of the bus is the loudest, as is the natural order of things. Bakugou, Kirishima, Kaminari, Ashido, Uraraka, and Sero are all sitting back there. Those six (excepting Izuku) are the most naturally high-energy students in their class.

Nothing's on fire, though, and no one's stabbed, hit, or otherwise injured another person, so Aizawa's ignoring it.

Their bus pulls over off the highway about an hour into their trip. There's another car there at the pullout and Aizawa instructs everyone to get off the bus. They do so, the more energetic students running a few meters away.

"Midoriya," Aizawa says as Izuku walks past him. Izuku pauses, waving Kouda on. "Stick next to me."

Oh. Oh, something's _happening_.

The occupants of the car get out, and Izuku recognizes them immediately. Those outfits? Suddenly, things are starting to make sense. There's the electric thrum of excitement building under his skin, and he can't help it as he starts to bounce on the balls of his feet.

It's Pixie-Bob and Mandalay, along with a small, angry-looking child. The two pros introduce themselves to the class, bright smiles on their faces.

"Hey, kittens!" Mandalay says. "There's a mountain over there." She gestures at a point behind her, and, sure enough, there's a mountain over there. "You will be staying at a camp at the base of it! You have three hours to get there, using your quirks as you please!"

"You better get there before 12:30, though," Pixie-Bob adds, her lips curling into a smirk. "Or you won't get lunch!"

There's some muttering among the group until Kirishima makes a break for the bus. Pixie-Bob laughs, and wow, Izuku won't be forgetting that sound anytime soon, and suddenly, Izuku's classmates are sliding down the slope into the forest below.

"Have fun in the Forest of Beasts!" Pixie-Bob calls, waving down at the eighteen students.

"Forest of-!?" That's Kaminari, cutting himself off with a scream.

"They'll have fun dodging my quirk," Pixie-Bob says, turning towards Aizawa and Izuku and winking. Izuku can't help it; he snorts, covering his mouth with his hand. Aizawa's looking at him, an appraising look on his face, and then nods to Pixie-Bob.

"If you strain yourself today, then you won't be participating in any of the other additional activities, such as the test of courage, later this week, understand?" Aizawa addresses Izuku, who nods.

"I understand," he signs.

"Be careful," Aizawa adds. "Watch your neck."

"I _know_," Izuku replies, suppressing the urge to roll his eyes.

"Alright, Pixie, send him down. _Gently_." The last word is pointed, sharp, and Pixie-Bob laughs.

"Sure thing, Eraserhead!"

Izuku's descent is much less sudden than his classmates', and once his feet touch the forest floor, he's off, jogging to catch up with them, following the trail of destruction and chaos through the trees. It doesn't take long to find them, based on the noises.

Pixie-Bob was not kidding about the Forest of Beasts thing. There are three separate, large earth creatures facing the students, each towering several meters above the class. Bakugou is already blasting towards one of them, Kirishima hot on his heels, while Ojiro and Satou are running towards another. Shiozaki makes quick work of the third, and just as it gets destroyed by her vines, another rises up, directly between Izuku and his classmates.

_Thank you, Pixie-Bob_, he thinks. Now he has the opportunity to make an _entrance_.

Which he does. The monster is bearing down on some of the less combative of his classmates—Jirou and Kouda are there, guiding an already burnt out Kaminari along while Tsuyu, Shouji, Hagakure, and Tokoyami follow up as their makeshift rear-guard of sorts. The rest of their classmates are spread out, facing down various sizes and forms of earthbeasts.

Izuku darts forward, sprinting the last couple meters between him and the beast and touching its leg with all five fingers of his right hand. His quirk activates, sending the creature flowing back into the earth it came from.

"Midori," Tsuyu says. "They sent you down separately."

"Yes," Izuku confirms. "I've been ordered not to strain or overwork myself, though. I'll stick with you!"

Kouda translates for him, his voice soft and hard to hear over the chaos of the class.

Kouda calls down birds and asks them to guide them to the lodge. Yaoyorozu pulls back, eventually, calling for them all to regroup, as they're getting spread apart, chasing earthbeasts and leaving the core group. Shiozaki's the only one who hears and listens the first time, but she screams out an order in a surprisingly loud voice, drawing back Satou, Ojiro, Uraraka, and Aoyama as well.

Either none of the others heard Shiozaki's message, or they're ignoring it.

Between Shouji and Jirou's senses and Kouda's birds, the core group of the class manages to maintain a fairly direct path towards the camp. Maybe they'll make it in time?

As they go, Shouji keeps an ear out for their classmates, as well. Bakugou's group, consisting of him, Kirishima, Ashido, and Sero, keeps getting farther and farther away from them, while Todoroki lurks around them, using his ice to help protect their flank he's on.

"I think he heard Shiozaki earlier," Izuku signs to Kouda after hearing Shouji's most recent report on the locations of their classmates. "But with his ice, maybe he's decided that it'll work better for him to be a bit further away from us? I wish he'd communicated that, though."

"I do, too," Yaoyorozu is panting as she speaks. She pauses, redoing her ponytail, catching all the flyaways.

"I think someone needs to go help Todoroki," Shouji speaks up. "He sounds like he's struggling."

As he says that, there's a blast of cold air from Todoroki's direction.

"That's _struggling?"_ Uraraka exclaims.

"Quirk overuse, probably," Yaoyorozu says. Izuku taps her shoulder, and she turns to face him.

"I'll go," he signs. "He's stubborn, right? So am I. Also, I can prevent him from using his quirk, full-stop."

Yaoyorozu nods. "Alright. Come right back with him."

Izuku gives her a snappy mock salute and jogs off in the direction Todoroki's been hanging around in. It doesn't take long to find his trail of ice and follow it.

And oh, _boy_. Oh boy is Todoroki suffering from quirk overuse. Izuku can see the sheen of frost on him from here, and if he's given himself hypothermia or frostbite or something in _August_, then Aizawa might just actually throw him into the remedial course, honestly.

Izuku doesn't bother with pleasantries, he just knows that he needs to _stop this_. There's two earthbeasts facing Todoroki, who's standing there, panting, his breath fogging the air. Izuku runs in, brushing past the first earthbeast which is just turning to face him as he tags it.

"Mido—" Todoroki is cut off by Izuku's hand slapping his upper arm. Not his most graceful negation ever, but it does the job. He doesn't pause to see Todoroki's reaction, instead turning and negating the second earthbeast.

Izuku tries sign first, turning towards Todoroki. "Come on, let's get back to the group."

"I—don't know sign," Todoroki says, eyes wide as he stares at Izuku. "Why did you negate my quirk? You didn't even _ask_."

Izuku sighs. He can hear another earthbeast forming nearby. He takes a couple steps closer to Todoroki, leaning in so he doesn't have to try straining his voice.

"I'm sorry," he says. His voice is rough, still a little breathy, but louder than it was a couple weeks ago. "You're suffering from massive quirk exhaustion and I _can't_ let you keep hurting yourself. Let's get back to the rest of the group."

Todoroki eyes him for a few moments. That earthbeast is coming closer, and Izuku tenses, preparing to deal with it (or run with Todoroki) when Todoroki nods.

He doesn't think, just grabs Todoroki's hand and takes off. The two of them run towards where they can hear the rest of the class fighting their way through. They run in just in time to see Uraraka release her quirk, dropping one earthbeast on two others and taking all three out.

Izuku releases Todoroki's hand, retaking his spot near Shouji and Yaoyorozu. Todoroki follows him, and ends up grouped with Kaminari, who's currently being wrangled by Hagakure.

"Just stick me with the poor idiots with quirk overuse, huh? Is that my permanent job now?" Hagakure asks.

"It's very important and I appreciate you with all my heart," Yaoyorozu replies. "Thank you for watching out for Kaminari and Todoroki."

"Okay, I guess I'm okay with it," Hagakure concedes. "But only if I'm paid in a kiss!" There's a teasing lilt in her voice, and Yaoyorozu turns red.

"O-okay," she says. "Deal."

"Wait, what?" Hagakure says. "I'm not saying I don't want it but I didn't think you'd agree to it! I was just teasing!"

"No, I'll kiss you," Yaoyorozu replies, dead serious, the blush fading.

Izuku can't see her, but he's sure that Hagakure's the one blushing now. "O-okay! That's a deal, then!"

The class continues forward, moving forward from that conversation with all the grace of a two-year-old horse on their first trail. That is, to say, none at all.

"If we are being paid in kisses," Tokoyami says, Dark Shadow blasting apart another earthbeast, "then I wish to receive mine from sweet Lord Death."

"Wow, that's dark," Uraraka says, using her quirk on a log just as Satou guzzles a sugar packet and picks it up. "If Yaoyorozu's offering kisses, then obviously I want one from her. Who wouldn't?" She releases her quirk as Satou swings the log at an earthbeast, sending the full weight of the former tree into the thing, breaking apart the log. It's a strong enough hit to damage the beast, and Ojiro finishes up with a solid hit from his tail.

"Well, I, personally, do not wish to receive a kiss from any girl at all," Tokoyami replies. "I happen to be of… other persuasions."

"Oh, okay, that's cool," Uraraka replies.

"I'm pretty sure the kiss payment is a Hagakure exclusive!" Hagakure herself snaps, shoving Kaminari forward and out of the way as an earthbeast starts forming where they were just standing. Izuku darts forward and negates it as soon as it finishes forming.

"It is," Yaoyorozu agrees. "Apologies to anyone who was feeling hopeful."

"I'm available for kiss payments," Aoyama says, posing as he fires off his navel laser into an earthbeast's head. The effect is undercut as he doubles over, arms wrapping around his stomach, a moment later.

"Oh, that's a mood," Uraraka says, looking a little queasy herself.

Kouda summons a bird down and then relays a message to Yaoyorozu, who nods.

"We're coming into the last stretch before the lodge!" she shouts. "Be ready—I'm sure Pixie-Bob is going to be throwing everything she's got at us!"

"So, you're saying we're not out of the woods yet?" Izuku asks, and Yaoyorozu snorts. Like, actually snorts. Kouda laughs, too.

"Hey, what's funny? What'd he say?" Hagakure asks.

"He said: so, you're saying we're not out of the woods yet?" Yaoyorozu replies.

Jirou groans and rolls her eyes. "That's _terrible._"

"I love it," Uraraka finishes, flashing a grin over her shoulder at him.

Yaoyorozu's prediction proves correct. A few tens of meters away, they're met with a veritable _wall_ of earthbeasts. They're spread through the trees, but there's so many of them that they maybe _outnumber_ the trees.

(Well. Okay. That's impossible. But there's just a _lot_ of them, and Izuku doesn't exactly have time to count them.)

"Everyone, get ready!" Yaoyorozu orders.

"Can I have my quirk back?" Todoroki asks, dropping back towards Izuku, who shakes his head.

"You can have it back when you stop shivering," Izuku says. "It's been half an hour and you're still cold."

"I can fix that with my quirk," Todoroki replies, frowning.

"Then why _weren't_ you?" Izuku asks, and they're out of time to talk as the class meets the beasts head-on.

Most of their strong fighters—Shiozaki, Satou, Ojiro, Aoyama, Uraraka—take the front line. Shiozaki could, honestly, hold that line on her own, but she's starting to slow down, sweat pouring down her forehead, vines responding just a little later than they should be. Aoyama and Uraraka both look like they're five seconds away from throwing up, and Satou and Ojiro aren't in any better shape.

The earthbeasts flank them. Tsuyu, Tokoyami and Dark Shadow take the ones coming in on their right while Shouji, Jirou, and Yaoyorozu turn to the ones on their left. That leaves Izuku hanging back with Hagakure, Todoroki, Kaminari, and Kouda.

They're _all_ tired and exhausted, sweaty, with scratches on their faces and arms, dirt on their uniforms, and… that is a whole branch stuck in Tsuyu's hair, okay.

All of them, that is, except Izuku.

Now, yes, he's a little tired from running through a forest for hours, but he's not on the edge of quirk overuse like half his friends are. He was ordered to take it easy, yes…

But he can still take it.

He whirls and turns to Todoroki. "You're the back line. Okay?" he says. He punctuates his statement by poking the taller boy's shoulder before snapping his fingers, Todoroki's quirk releasing in a blaze of red lightning. That done, Izuku runs forward, joining the front line. He's used his quirk on four earthbeasts and Todoroki today: he has a lot of gas left in the tank.

The earthbeasts are big and slow and Izuku is small and fast. Alongside Shiozaki, Satou, and Ojiro, he tears his way through them, the four of them forming the point of their spear.

And then, he's negating the last one, and they're breaking away from the tree line. All four of the Wild, Wild Pussycats are there, along with Aizawa, who's camped in the shade of a pavilion, seemingly unconscious on a table.

All four of the Pussycats are wide-eyed and ecstatic as they watch the group come to a stop, panting. Aoyama flops to the ground with a dramatic gasp and Izuku reaches down, grabs his arm, and pulls him to his feet.

"This is only part of your class," Ragdoll says, stepping towards them and leaning forward so she's eye-to-eye with Izuku. He fights the reflex to lean away, and after a moment, she moves on to Ojiro. "The rest of them are pretty far away, huh."

"We did lose track of them a while ago," Yaoyorozu agrees. "I tried to tell everyone to stick together, but either they were too far away or they deliberately ignored me."

Mandalay nods. "We'll have to work on that later this week, then. Now, how did all of you make your way here so directly?"

As one, the class parts to gesture to Shouji, Jirou, and Kouda. Kouda and Jirou both blush and duck their head, while Shouji stands there, unaffected.

"Kouda asked birds to guide us," Yaoyorozu explains, "and Shouji and Jirou both have very good hearing."

"Good planning!" Mandalay glances over the members of the class who are there. "Ragdoll mentioned that at one point, one of you was very dangerously close to frostbite and hypothermia—"

"Todoroki," Izuku gasps, and then signs the rest of his statement. "That was Todoroki. He was overusing his quirk."

"No, he was underusing it," Aizawa says, dragging himself upright and walking over. "Todoroki's quirk is _Fire_ and Ice."

Izuku gasps, his eyes widening. That explains so much! Around him, his classmates are also murmuring and gasping about Todoroki's quirk to each other.

"You will not be allowed to continue ignoring the use of your fire," Aizawa continues, walking forward until he's standing directly in front of Todoroki. "This camp is designed to push you to your limits. _All_ of your limits. You have potential, Todoroki, but if you continue to neglect half your quirk, I will be required to take action."

The threat hangs.

Most of the class is probably jumping to expulsion, considering Aizawa's reputation, but as the moments pass, Izuku considers that other actions would probably be taken first: being moved into General Studies, for one.

Todoroki, however, looks absolutely shaken as Aizawa turns and walks away. Several members of the class look like they want to approach him. One of them is Uraraka, and Izuku reaches over and catches her arm (and her attention). As she looks at him, he shakes his head.

Ragdoll takes over. "So! We weren't honestly expecting you to make it here so quick. And within the three hours Pixie-Bob gave you, too! You chewed right through her earthbeasts! Talk to me about your strategy. Please remember to raise your hands and speak one-at-a-time—I'm also keeping an eye on your other classmates who are still making their way here, so I can't be super distracted!"

"You, first," Ragdoll points at Yaoyorozu. "You're Class Representative Yaoyorozu, correct? Oh, and please introduce yourself the first time you speak!"

"Yes, I am," Yaoyorozu says. "And, uh, well, we were a little surprised when we were thrown off a cliff. I think we recovered well. We split up off the bat, but once Midoriya showed up, I realized we should probably stick close together through the forest so no one got separated, but, well, obviously that didn't quite work…" she trailed off at the end, looking down and twirling a lock of hair around her finger.

"Hey, that's okay!" Ragdoll grins. "You got most of your class here without any major injuries! You did a good job! Okay, so, once Midoriya showed up… Midoriya?" She glances around, and Izuku raises his hand. She brightens up. "You next!"

"JSL?" he asks, signing, and Ragdoll nods.

"We're all fluent in both JSL and ASL!" she replies.

Oh, that'll make things so much easier.

"I was held back a little at the start," Izuku signs, "so that Mr. Aizawa could give me some… additional instructions, and so that I could be sent down a little more gently, considering," he gestures at his neck.

"Additional instructions?" Ragdoll asks.

Izuku nods. "I was told if I strained myself today, I couldn't participate in any of the other extra activities planned this week."

Ragdoll nods. "Alright! So, you show up, and Class Rep Yaoyorozu calls the class to stick together!"

"Actually," Yaoyorozu interrupts, and then ducks her head, blushing. "Shiozaki managed to get most of them. Her voice is much louder than mine."

"Shiozaki…" Ragdoll scans the group, her attention snapping to the girl in question once she raises her hand. "So you called the rest of the group together?"

"Yes." Shiozaki nodded.

"You were also one of their strongest frontline fighters! Congratulations, your skill and control with your quirk is very impressive!" Ragdoll says. Shiozaki blushes and ducks her head.

"Thank you. I would not be where I am without my teacher's help, though."

"Mr. Aizawa?" Ragdoll asks. "Or do you get additional education?"

"Mr. Aizawa," Shiozaki confirms.

Ragdoll nods and moves on. "So. Midoriya joins, and Yaoyorozu and Shiozaki pull the class together. What next?"

By this point, Izuku's noticed that Tiger and Pixie-Bob have both left, leaving Ragdoll, Mandalay, and Aizawa with the students.

"We make our way through the forest," Yaoyorozu replies to Ragdoll. "Shouji and Jirou keep an ear out on Bakugou's group and Todoroki, and Kouda guides us."

"Keep an ear on Todoroki?" Ragdoll asks.

"Todoroki did not come back to the group, however, he did keep pace with us on his own," Yaoyorozu replies. Ragdoll turns towards Todoroki.

"Would you please explain your reasoning?" she asks.

"My quirk works best when I don't have to worry about catching teammates in it," he replies. "I could follow the group, use my quirk to its fullest effect—" _bullshit_ "—and help keep one flank clear of earthbeasts."

Izuku jumps in before Ragdoll can say anything, taking a step forward to draw her attention. "This was never communicated to Yaoyorozu," he signs. "We figured it out, after a while, but it would've been nice if he'd told her his plan from the start."

"That's correct!" Ragdoll nods and Izuku takes a step back. "Midoriya just explained to me that Todoroki never communicated his intentions to Yaoyorozu. They did realize what his plan was, but he should have told his field commander—in this case, Yaoyorozu—what he was planning! Open communication between teammates is vital, especially in cases when you're working with strangers or teams of five or more."

The group nods, taking this in.

"You're making your way through the forest," Ragdoll continues with instruction as Tiger emerges from the pavilion, carrying a cooler. "What's your general strategy? Is it something you happened to fall into, is it something explained, what is it?"

Jirou raises her hand, ducking her head as Ragdoll calls on her. She introduces herself first. "I think it's something we just… fell into," she says. "Yaoyorozu—and Midoriya, after he arrived—would give suggestions and instructions as needed, but I think most of us are aware enough of our strengths and weaknesses that we just… did what we're good at." Tiger begins passing out bottles of electrolyte drinks to the students as Jirou speaks.

"And what was that? Someone else," Ragdoll says.

Uraraka's next. "Well, I have a support quirk—" _bullshit, again_—"so I supported the frontline, mostly Ojiro and Satou."

"Ignoring the times we _all_ watched her use her quirk on the earthbeasts and throw them around like they're nothing," Izuku signs. "Zero Gravity's not _just_ a support quirk."

"A little out of turn, but excellent point, Midoriya!" Ragdoll says. "You may be tempted to sort your quirks into boxes, such as _offense quirks_, _defense quirks,_ _support quirks_, and so on. Those are useful labels if applied carefully and thoughtfully. Make sure you're not reducing yourself to _just_ one box, though! Almost every quirk in existence fits into many boxes! Let's take, for example, my quirk: Search! I can keep track of one hundred specific people within my area of influence, which is quite large! I can know their vital signs, figure out injuries, and know weaknesses! So. What boxes does my quirk fit into? Does someone who hasn't spoken want to take this one?" Tiger passes by Izuku, and he takes a bottle from the pro with a signed thanks.

Tokoyami raises a hand and introduces himself. "The most obvious boxes are intelligence, mental, and support."

"Yes! That's correct. My quirk is very straightforward. However, Uraraka, what's your quirk? Could you explain it to the class?"

"It's Zero Gravity," Uraraka replies. "I can reduce or remove the effects of gravity on anything I touch."

"Alright! You already pointed out the support aspect of your quirk, and Midoriya pointed out the offense aspect of your quirk. Any others?"

"Rescue," Yaoyorozu says.

"Mhm!" Ragdoll nods. "See? Quirks are versatile! Be careful you don't trap yourself in a thought rut! Back to the forest—Frontliners! Raise your hands!"

Uraraka, Ojiro, and Satou raise their hands alongside Shiozaki and Aoyama.

"Come stand over here, you five," Ragdoll gestures to her left. "Todoroki, join them!" The six students move to their designated spot. "Who was guarding the flanks? Please stand a few feet to your right of the frontline group. Technically, Todoroki, this also includes you, but I want you to stay where you are!"

Tokoyami and Tsuyu are the two who go to Ragdoll's designated flank defense spot, and she raises her eyebrows. "Only two of you?"

"Some of us had… multiple jobs," Yaoyorozu says, gesturing to the rest of the group. "Shouji was assisting on defense, but he was also listening for Todoroki and Bakugou. I was also defending, but I think you would consider leadership a different role. Midoriya was, well, supporting me, but he, along with Jirou, was the last line of defense before the Kaminari Escort."

"The Kaminari Escort?" Ragdoll's gaze lands on Kaminari himself, who's recovering from his burnt-out state and ducks his head.

"Yeah," he says. "I get a little loopy if I use my quirk at full blast so they kind of had to guard me through the forest! Especially since my quirk was useless on the earthbeasts, anyway."

"Oh." Ragdoll frowns and looks at Aizawa, who sighs.

"We're working on getting him support gear that prevents overload, but it's been slow going. The overload is what I'm hoping to address with him, this week."

"Mhm." She nods and turns back to the students. "Alright. So. The Kaminari Escort?"

Izuku, Jirou, Kouda, and Hagakure raise their hands.

"That reminds me—" Hagakure begins, cut off as Jirou elbows her.

"Not now," Jirou hisses, and Hagakure rubs her side and takes several steps away from the other girl. Ragdoll is appraising them, nodding slowly.

"This is a solid strategy!" she says. "Eraserhead's mentioned that you haven't worked much on large team-based exercises yet, so for not having the experience with them, you did great! Yaoyorozu, you mentioned that Midoriya was supporting you? Would you explain that statement?"

"Yes," Yaoyorozu nods. "I would consider Midoriya my… second-in-command, during that."

Ragdoll hums. "What exactly was he doing to earn that?"

"He helped make decisions, acted decisively, and has an understanding of the interactions our classmates' quirks are capable of that came in very helpful."

Izuku ducks his head. He didn't do that much, but other students are nodding along with her, so maybe he did more than he thinks he did.

"He also retrieved Todoroki," Shouji adds. "When I noticed he was slowing down."

"I did notice that!" Ragdoll nods. "Todoroki, Midoriya, would either of you explain what happened?"

Izuku briefly raises his hand before beginning to sign. "Shouji pointed out that Todoroki was slowing down and struggling. Yaoyorozu suggested quirk overuse, so I told her I would go and get him and bring him back to the group."

"Why you in particular?" Ragdoll asks, tilting her head. He has the feeling she already knows why.

"I had the feeling that Todoroki would refuse to stop using his quirk and come back to the group unless the ability to use his quirk was removed from him," he explains. "He's one of those lone wolf types."

"Th-that's an understatement," Kouda says. "That he's a… that he's a lone wolf…" Kouda's voice trails off into nothing as he shrinks under the gazes of their classmates.

"An understatement, huh?" Ragdoll says. "So Midoriya. You went to Todoroki, used your quirk on him, and brought him back to the group?" Izuku nods. "Todoroki, does this fit with your experience?"

"Yes," he says.

"Did he explain what he was doing?"

"After," Todoroki says. He pauses, and Ragdoll lets him take the time to think. "It's okay, though. I… asked him why he negated my quirk, and he apologized for not asking or saying anything first."

"Alright." Ragdoll nods. "So Midoriya and Todoroki return to the group."

"We finish making our way to the camp, using the same general strategy," Yaoyorozu replies.

"Although the Kaminari Escort became the Kaminari and Todoroki Escort," Jirou adds.

"What about when you reach the last line?" Ragdoll asks, raising her eyebrows, the corners of her mouth twitching.

"Honestly?" Yaoyorozu raises her eyebrows. "I am very glad Midoriya decided to join the frontline there. His addition to our offense made breaking through it much smoother. Other than that, we maintained our strategy and formation until we broke through."

Ragdoll dips her head. "Congratulations," she says. "You all did wonderfully. Now, I think we should give you a bit of a break! We weren't honestly expecting you all to make it back so quick. Go fetch your luggage from the bus and put it in your rooms and then come meet us back here!"

The class scrambles to follow her instruction.

After putting their luggage in their rooms, they're treated to lunch. It's just sandwiches, put together hastily by Tiger and Pixie-Bob (since they weren't expecting most of the class to make it back by lunchtime). And after lunch, the four Pussycats start teaching them basic team tactics. It's nearing evening when Mandalay asks if any volunteers would like to come help her cook dinner. Several students, including Izuku and Satou, join her.

It's well into evening by the time Bakugou's group arrives.

Izuku's very glad he misses the initial reaction to the realization that most of the class beat them back.

**HEY HORIKOSHI I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS**

**why didn't Kouda get birds to guide them to camp huh. huh. huh. he can talk. to birds. why didn't he, huh?**

**anyways, i'm excited :) this is gonna be fun**

**expected update day: Sunday, 10 May, 2020**


	24. wanna play a prank?

Izuku sits sandwiched between Yaoyorozu and Mashirao, with Uraraka, Jirou, Tsuyu, and, surprisingly, Todoroki joining them during dinner. They are, conveniently and by design, all the way across the pavilion from where Bakugou is sitting. The food is delicious, and afterwards, the class is sent to the baths.

Which is.

A minor issue.

All the boys are in their shared room, getting their stuff for the baths when Kirishima speaks up.

"I figure I should probably let all of you know now that I'm trans!" There is a distinct sigh of relief from three other people in the room. "I hope that won't be an issue for anyone!"

"If it is, then Dark Shadow and I will have a reckoning with them, for I am as well," Tokoyami says.

"I don't think anyone here has any issues," Mashirao says, glancing around. "And, well, I'm not trans myself but I _will_ beat them up for you."

"He will," Izuku signs. "I've seen it happen before."

"You've beaten people up for being transphobes before?" Satou asks, leaning towards Mashirao.

"Yeah! I need to stick up for my friends, after all," Mashirao replies. Izuku picks his way through the room until he's standing next to Mashirao.

"Oh. Huh. I'd fight a transphobe, too, just. Not. In an ally capacity," Satou replies.

Izuku nudges the Mashirao's side with his elbow.

"I suppose now is as good a time as any to come out," he signs.

Mashirao raises his eyebrows. "Are you sure?" he signs, and Izuku nods.

He turns to face the rest of the group and then signs, "I'm trans." Mashirao translates.

Kirishima gasps. "Can you teach me to sign that?"

Izuku nods.

If they're a little late to the baths, well, an impromptu sign language lesson is as good a reason as any.

They wake up at the asscrack of dawn and eat breakfast in the pavilion.

The sun's not even _up_ yet and they're dragging themselves out of bed and into the forest. Aizawa and the Pussycats are waiting for them, looking too chipper for this hour.

"Good morning!" Pixie-Bob calls, clapping her hands together. "You're all looking fresh and ready to face the world!"

Kaminari groans.

"Wonderful! Now: here's how today will work."

"We'll start this week with quirk strength training!" Mandalay continues the introduction.

"Bakugou," Aizawa says, producing a softball from within his jumpsuit. "Come here. Throw it, like in the quirk apprehension test at the beginning of the year."

Bakugou stomps over and snatches it from Aizawa's hand, walking over to the line in the dirt Pixie-Bob put there. Once he's there, he doesn't hesitate. He throws the ball with a scream of "_DIE_!" and an explosion, sending it flying over the trees. Izuku's flinch is reflexive, and he's not the only one: even after a whole term with Bakugou, Kouda, Jirou, and Shouji all still flinch.

"709.6 meters," Aizawa reads off his phone.

"What?" Kaminari exclaims, glancing between Aizawa and Bakugou. "That's-!"

"I thought he'd get 900, easily!" Sero adds. "That little improvement, after a whole term?"

Everyone seems to be startled at the… low? number. Izuku wasn't there for the quirk apprehension test, meaning he's missing _a lot_ of context, apparently.

"You've gotten experience against real villains, yes," Aizawa says, glaring at the class and shutting everyone up. "But you haven't focused on strengthening your quirks. That is what this camp will be for. I've come up with plans for each of you to push your quirks beyond."

"Using our four quirks," Ragdoll says, pointing at herself and each of the Pussycats, "we can train all of you at once! With Search, I can keep track of all of you and your conditions."

"With Earth Flow, I can create the perfect training ground!" Pixie-Bob steps forward, posing briefly until Mandalay takes her place.

"I can disperse advice to anyone at once with Telepath."

"And with my Plia-body, I'm here to train anyone with power-type quirks!" Tiger goes last.

"But that's… no one in our class," Izuku signs small, surreptitious, to Mashirao, who's sitting right next to him.

"That may be, Midoriya," oh no Ragdoll caught him again, "but you're not the only first years here!"

"I'll just have to go around and help out the rest of you until Class B gets here, then," Tiger adds, a dangerous smile overcoming his features.

"Now, when I call your name, come up and receive your instructions," Aizawa says.

Izuku is one of the last students called up.

"Midoriya," Aizawa says, glancing him over. "You'll be over by Yaoyorozu and Satou. Pixie-Bob will be creating earthbeasts which you will then negate. There will be an additional aspect of your training tonight that will be seen to after dinner."

Izuku nods and turns to go, but Aizawa holds out a hand and stops him.

"I know the point of this camp is to _go beyond_," he drawls the school motto out, "but if you somehow manage to set your healing back, at all, I will not hesitate to make you sit out the rest of camp. Understand?"

Izuku nods, and Aizawa lets him go.

Class 1-B shows up at 0700, an hour and fifteen minutes after Class 1-A had started. The 1-A students barely pause in their training, just glancing over long enough to register that, oh, hey, 1-B is here, and then they return their attention to their training.

It's long, it's grueling, they sweat buckets, Izuku can hear Bakugou's screams the entire time even though they're quite a way away from each other. He can also hear Kouda screaming, and, really, does he _want_ to damage his voice? Because that's how you damage your voice, and it doesn't seem like anyone's doing anything about it-?

Izuku calls for a break, holding a hand up, and the earthbeasts in front of him stop. There's a pounding growing behind his eyes, so it _is_ just about time for him to. Not use his quirk for a bit. So anyways, he picks up a blue sports drink and jogs off to find Mandalay.

She's over observing the destruction zone that is Todoroki and Bakugou's area, standing next to Aizawa. Their homeroom teacher spares Izuku a glance as he jogs over, but Izuku ignores him and runs up to Mandalay to tap on her shoulder.

"Oh, hello Midoriya!" she says, turning to glance over at him, and oh, isn't it nice to be around a pro hero and teacher who's just about the same size as him. "What can I do for you?"

Izuku tucks his sports drink between his knees before signing, "I have a concern about Kouda. He's supposed to be doing vocal exercises, right? Well, I have to do vocal exercises as therapy for," he gestures at his throat, "and." He pauses. "You're not supposed to scream them. Or, really, scream for extended periods of time. I'm just concerned he might be straining his voice?"

"Thank you for letting me know," Mandalay replies. "I'll pass that along to him." Izuku nods to her and grabs his sports drink again before jogging back to his spot. He needs to dodge Uraraka at one point as she bounces around in her bubble of doom.

They break for lunch, sandwich supplies provided while each student is left to make their own.

"Hey, Midoriya!" Uraraka says, bounding over with a sandwich on her plate despite the fact she'll probably just end up puking it up later. "Some of us are thinking we'll go eat lunch under the trees, do you want to come with us?"

"Sure!" he nods. He waves at Mashirao as he and Uraraka walk past. Mashirao is already sitting with Kaminari, Ashido, and Sero, but he lifts his hands and signs to Izuku anyways.

"Do you want me to come with?"

"No," Izuku signs back. "But thank you!"

He can already see Yaoyorozu standing with the group Uraraka's leading him towards, so if he really needs a translator, he can ask her. But, well, he hasn't used up his speaking time for today yet.

"Miss Mandalay!" Uraraka calls out as they approach the pro. Mandalay turns towards them, a smile crossing her features.

"Uraraka, Midoriya! What can I do for you?"

"There's a group of us who want to go eat under the trees," Uraraka says, gesturing at said group. "May we?"

"Yes," Mandalay nods, "as long as you stay within sight of the pavilion at all times."

"Of course!" Uraraka replies as Izuku nods. "Thank you so much!" Izuku signs along as she speaks, and Mandalay barely has time to tell them 'you're welcome' before they're turning and running towards the group.

"She said yes!" Uraraka says, jumping and punching the air.

"That's great!" Hagakure agrees, jumping in place.

Aside from Izuku and Uraraka, the group contains Yaoyorozu, Hagakure, Tsuyu, Aoyama, and Shiozaki. The seven of them walk over to the trees together, sitting on the ground in the shade.

"So," Hagakure says, and Izuku can hear the grin in her voice. "I never got my payment kiss! And, well, if we're over here… I don't think you have to worry about anyone here filming it for anything."

The other kids are all quick to give their affirmations, even Aoyama.

"Alright." Yaoyorozu is blushing, but she leans towards Hagakure. The invisible girl closes the rest of the distance herself.

It's a quick peck, but Aoyama still feigns fainting while Uraraka whoops. The rest of them clap, and Yaoyorozu is blushing even more.

"I'm still available if anyone wishes to have a payment kiss of their own," Aoyama says, stretching out across Uraraka's lap. Uraraka shoves him off, onto the ground, and he wails. "Oh! _Mon amie!_ My clothes! They'll get dirty!"

"They're already soaked through with your own sweat," Tsuyu points out.

"That is _beside the point_," Aoyama replies, dramatically rolling around on the ground.

Izuku watches their antics, taking a bite of his sandwich. Shiozaki seems to have the same idea, and they meet each other's gazes for a moment. He doesn't know the girl that well, outside of class, but she seems nice and is serious about training so she's already in his good book.

The seven of them finish their lunches in time, thankfully, running back to the pavilion to wash their plates off before being sent back out to training.

Uraraka approaches him, again, during a time they happen to both be breaking together. She's carrying a bottle of green sports drink as she walks over, her hair tied back in a high ponytail.

"Hey, Midoriya," she says, a glint in her eyes and a smirk on her lips. "Wanna play a prank on the class?"

"I'm listening," he says, leaning closer to her.

They're instructed to make their own dinners. Izuku catches Ochako's eye—Ochako, now, because _if we're gonna pull this prank together then you can call me Izuku_ and _well, in that case, you can call me Ochako!_—and she smiles and winks. It's still on.

At first, it's chaos. Everyone wants to do their own thing and no one's doing anything together. Bakugou is chopping all the vegetables, and doing a damn fine job of it (and he has a two meter circle of empty space around him because seriously, _no one_ wants to be in his blood circle), but no one else is doing anything useful.

"Hey!" Shiozaki yells, climbing onto a table. "Everyone, stop!"

Everyone stops, quieting down, even Bakugou.

"Thank you," Shiozaki says, turning towards Yaoyorozu. "Now. Yaoyorozu, what are we doing?"

Yaoyorozu blushes. "I. Uh. I'm not the most experienced cook? Um." She seems to perk up. "Midoriya, do you know how to cook?"

He nods.

"Can you take charge?" she asks.

Oh.

Okay.

The familiar maw of anxiety fills him, for just a moment, before he feels Mashirao nudge him, and then he remembers the forest.

He remembers what Yaoyorozu said afterwards.

He nods. Shiozaki gestures to the space next to her as she steps down from the table, and Izuku takes a deep, steady breath before stepping up where she was.

Everyone's looking at him.

(Everyone was looking at him during the Sports Festival, and he _won_ that.)

He takes a deep breath.

Just like the Sports Festival.

Okay.

He can do this.

He catches sight of Bakugou for just a moment, and if looks could kill, oh boy. Oh boy, he'd be dead.

Except.

Yaoyorozu thinks he can do this. Mashirao thinks he can do this.

His hands form the signs, Yaoyorozu the voice conveying his instructions to the class.

"If you're good at cooking, go over here," Izuku signs, pointing to a spot on his left. "If you've cooked some but aren't great, go here," he points to his right, "and if you've never cooked before, or you're the kind of cook who burns water, go here." The last spot is directly in front of him, and within moments, he has three groups of varying sizes. The smallest is definitely the one on his left. Bakugou is the only one not in a group, and he's returned to aggressively chopping vegetables.

Okay. He can do this.

"Todoroki, can you light the stoves for us?"

"Oh, wow, this is actually really good," Sero says in a moment of downtime from shoving curry and rice in his mouth. "I wasn't expecting us to be able to come up with food this good!"

"What are you talking about?" Bakugou growls. "I fucking helped you make it, of course it's good."

"All you did was chop vegetables," Ashido points out.

"Not that they're not _very even vegetables_," Kaminari adds, and Ashido rolls her eyes while Bakugou grunts and looks away.

Izuku watches this exchange happen from several tables away. Yaoyorozu, sitting next to him, says his name.

"Are you okay?" she asks as he turns his face to her. Her grey eyes are soft, concerned.

"Just… thinking," he signs.

She nods. "You and Bakugou knew each other before U.A., didn't you?"

He nods and does not elaborate.

A few minutes later, he leaves to use the restroom, and it's on his way back that he notices a small form watching the two classes.

That's Kouta, he realizes, the Pussycats' nephew. He'd barely seen the boy around, but from what he has, he seems… angry. And hurt.

And he doesn't look like he's had any dinner yet.

Izuku's about to approach him when Kouta turns and leaves, vanishing into the forest. Unfortunately, Izuku can't really call out to him, considering everything, so he returns briefly to the pavilion, where Yaoyorozu's sitting, so he can explain what he's doing.

"I just saw Kouta," he signs. "I don't think he's had dinner, so I'm going to take him a bowl of curry."

"Don't forget to tell Mr. Aizawa," Yaoyorozu replies, and Izuku nods, going to get a bowl of curry. He stops by the table where the teachers are sitting on the way out, where Mandalay confirms his concerns.

"He said he wasn't hungry, though," she adds, and he shrugs.

"That doesn't mean I can't at least take him some," he replies, and she nods.

"Do you know where he is?" she asks.

He shakes his head, but signs an answer before she can say anything in reply. "I can track him, though."

"Alright," she says, and he turns to leave.

It's not difficult to follow Kouta. There's a worn path, little more than a deer trail, where Izuku saw Kouta vanish into the woods. He follows it, and sure enough, it leads him up to a ledge that overlooks the lodge.

He kicks a rock, and Kouta yelps, whirling around.

"What are _you_ doing up here?" he spits, and Izuku points to the bowl of curry before he crouches and sets it down.

"I don't know sign yet," Kouta says as Izuku brings his hands up.

He shrugs and speaks. "That's okay. I didn't see you have anything for dinner, so I brought you some curry." He can _see_ Kouta flinch at the sound of his voice. That's okay. (It has to be okay.)

"I didn't _ask_ you to do this," Kouta snaps.

"You don't need to," Izuku replies. "I wanted to."

"Why?" Kouta asks, his face pulling into a glare, the sort of fury that five-year-olds shouldn't have yet.

"Because you looked like you needed it," Izuku replies. "Don't let it get too cold," he says before turning and walking away. He shouldn't be talking much more that day, not after lunch, and his planning session with Ochako.

He has plenty of time to think over the interaction as he walks back to the lodge. It's a solid five-minute walk, and he spends the entire time considering Kouta. What had _happened_ to Kouta? Mandalay mentioned he was her nephew, of sorts, which implies something happening with his parents, but what? Why is he so… angry?

What can Izuku do to help?

He's pulled out of his thoughts as he approaches the pavilion and catches sight of Ochako. She smiles at him, reaches up, taps her ear once. He nods back at her, once, quick. He has a mission now, one that he must carry out to the best of his ability.

Ochako jumps out of her seat as he approaches, a grin spreading across her face. It's filled with excitement, anticipation, and a good deal of warmth, and he feels one of his own form in kind.

"Izuku!" she says. "You did a great job with everyone tonight!"

And then they're kissing. In front of god, Aizawa, and their entire class. It's clumsy, and definitely his first kiss, but he doesn't mind. He's sharing it with a friend, after all.

Aoyama's gasp is the loudest, moments before Bakugou's "what the _FUCK_, Deku!?" and, oh, that is definitely the camera on someone's phone going off.

And then they separate. It was less than five seconds. But they're both blushing, all the way to the tips of their ears, and Ochako grins at him before turning.

"That," she says, pointing at Aoyama, "was for _you_, for sticking your nose in where it _doesn't belong_! You get one kiss, and if you ever stick your nose into my love life without permission again, I will throw you into the stratosphere!"

Aoyama gasps, a hand on his chest. "_Moi_?"

"_Tu_," Ochako agrees, nodding her head once, decisively. "No more meddling in classmates' love lives."

Aoyama huffs, crossing his arms and turning his nose up. "_D'accord_," he says. He's pouting, now.

"So, is this, what is this, exactly?" That's Shiozaki, a very confused expression on her face.

"A prank," Ochako says, grinning with glee and a certain bit of bloodlust in her eyes before marching back to the table, Izuku following her, his hand clamped tight over his mouth as he tries to hold his laughter in.

"So… you're not dating each other," Yaoyorozu says, and both of them nod.

"While we were doing our final," Ochako says, "Aoyama suggested that I have a crush on Izuku. Maybe I do, maybe I don't, but I don't want to be in a relationship right now, anyways. So this was our way of getting back at him, a little."

"What's a little platonic kissing among friends?" Izuku asks, grinning at Yaoyorozu as he does. A couple chuckles escape while he does, but a couple chuckles are better for his throat than full-bellied laughter. Yaoyorozu blushes and looks away in response.

"And you're still… first names?" Shiozaki asks, a baffled expression still on her face.

"We just kissed each other in front of the entire class, and also 1-B, and our homeroom teacher, and four pro heroes," Ochako replies. "If that's not a standard for first-name basis, then what is?"

Both classes are instructed to remain at the pavilion after they're finished with cleanup. Izuku and Kendou organize the classes for it, the Class B Rep surprisingly supportive of a random 1-A student standing in for Yaoyorozu.

Once all 39 teenagers are gathered, Aizawa calls Izuku to the front of the class. The carefully blank expression is there, but Izuku catches his right eye twitching as he approaches.

He can't suppress the small, pleased smile that sneaks its way onto his face upon seeing that.

"Everyone in my class knows Midoriya's quirk by now, and I'm sure everyone in Kan's class remembers seeing it in action during the Sports Festival. If you have a heteromorphic quirk, and _only_ a heteromorphic quirk, you're dismissed now. Everyone else, if you don't feel comfortable allowing Midoriya to use his quirk on you, then you're also free to leave now."

That's Tsuyu and Shouji leaving, obviously, along with Mashirao, Jirou, Hagakure, and Sero. There are much fewer from 1-B who leave, just Tsunotori and Bondo. That leaves 31 students, since no one else leaves.

At Aizawa's nod, Izuku moves around the group, making brief skin-to-skin contact with each one until he has all 31 under the effects of his quirk and the pressure in his head is, uh, kind of concerning, to be honest.

He holds his quirk on all 31 for two minutes and twenty-seven seconds before he can feel _something_ starting to go wrong, and he snaps his fingers before it can go any further.

Aizawa nods. "Have you ever held that many people under your quirk at once before?" Izuku shakes his head. Aizawa knows this already, but everyone else doesn't. "We'll be doing this after dinner every night for the whole camp. You're all dismissed—except," he says, capture weapon coming up and ensnaring Kirishima, Bakugou, Ashido, Kaminari, Sero, and Satou, "you six. You have remedial lessons starting now."

All of them except Bakugou (who's glaring a hole in the ground) groan.

**Aoyama, rolling around on the ground: no, I'm not AVPM Draco Malfoy, why do you ask?**

**anyways, things are gonna start heating up next chapter :3**

**expected update day: Wednesday, 13 May 2020**

Aoyama, rolling around on the ground: no, I'm not AVPM Draco Malfoy, why do you ask?


	25. is that TODOROKI?

**welcome to mood whiplash: the chapter**

**warnings: Muscular**

The members of class 1-A are all awake before 0600. There's no coordinated breakfast-making effort, like there was with the dinner making, but that will probably change in light of what's happening!

You see, Todoroki, Ochako, Izuku, Kaminari, and Ashido all manage to drag themselves out of bed first, somehow. How Ashido and Kaminari managed that, well, maybe it had to do with the way Izuku tripped and fell face-first into Kaminari while trying to leave, and how Ashido had snuggled up to Ochako at some point in the middle of the night, so she couldn't get up without waking up the other pink girl.

And, well, Todoroki just wakes up early.

Somehow all the commotion of Izuku tripping into Kaminari and the two of them leaving together doesn't wake the rest of the boys, and the five of them find themselves out in the pavilion with only a sleepy-looking Ragdoll for company.

"We have eggs," she says, gesturing to what are, indeed, eggs. There's also a variety of vegetables and meat and meat-substitute options that have gone unmentioned, as well as probably enough orange juice to fill a small pond.

"Hey Todoroki," Kaminari says, "can you cook with your left side?"

"What?" Todoroki asks, a blank expression on his face.

"Can we…" Kaminari gestures at Todoroki's entire person, as if that clarifies anything.

"I think he's trying to ask if your left side could fry eggs?" Izuku makes an attempt at translating, his voice even rougher than it has been so far in the morning fog.

"Like, fry an egg on him?" Ochako asks, frowning.

"Oh my gosh that's _brilliant_," Ashido says, suddenly way too wide awake for times before six. "Todoroki, _please_?"

Todoroki blinks, once. And then he shrugs.

"Sure."

Izuku instructs Todoroki to lay down on top of one of the tables, something that, thankfully, can be done via emphatic gesturing. He's already wearing shorts, despite the dawn chill, and Ashido is in charge of getting several pumps of hand sanitizer and wiping down Todoroki's left leg with it before Ochako wipes the excess off with a paper towel (let it never be said that they were unsanitary).

"Maybe it would work better on my chest," Todoroki says. "It might slide off my leg."

Izuku frowns. "Do you _want_ us to fry it on your chest?"

"Why not do both?" Ochako suggests, and Kaminari gasps.

"Uraraka, you're a genius," he says while Todoroki pulls his shirt off.

So, they redo the sanitation procedure with the left side of Todoroki's chest, and then Izuku instructs Todoroki to start heating up his left side before he cracks the eggs.

"What temperature?" Todoroki asks.

"Uh—About sixty-five?" Izuku replies, and Todoroki nods.

Soon, Izuku can feel the heat radiating off Todoroki's left side, which is steaming. Ochako, Kaminari, and Ashido are all gathered close, taking in the radiating heat.

"It's there," Todoroki says, and Izuku cracks the first egg. He can see the way Todoroki visibly suppresses the urge to shiver. "That feels weird."

"It okay?" Izuku asks, another egg already in his hands. Todoroki nods, and Izuku cracks the next egg.

They can fit three eggs on Todoroki before Izuku's worried about one sliding off. That's about the moment Izuku realizes how _strange_ this is, the four of them standing around their _shirtless classmate_ as they _fry eggs on his skin_.

"What are we doing," he whispers.

"Cooking our breakfast," Ochako replies.

"Mr. Aizawa is going to kill us," he moans, resisting the urge to bury his head in his hands because he still has raw egg on his fingers, damn it.

"No, he won't," Todoroki replies. "He wants me to use my left side at camp."

"_Oh my gosh_," Izuku whispers, his eyes wide open. "He might actually give us points for creativity."

"Nah, this is just dumbassery," Kaminari replies.

"Hey, what are you guys doing?"

All four of them whip around.

"Just Hagakure," Ashido says. "And Aoyama."

"We're making breakfast," Ochako replies to the invisible girl's question.

"Is that _Todoroki_?" Hagakure asks, her hands coming up to her face.

"No," Izuku says, shaking his head.

"Oh." Hagakure shrugs. "Okay, then." She grabs Aoyama's arm and drags him, the boy still staring at the group of five, over to where Ragdoll's guarding (read: napping by) the eggs.

By this point, the eggs on Todoroki are cooked, so Izuku removes them (with a plastic spatula, he's not cruel, he wouldn't use a metal one on someone's _flesh_) and puts them on a plate before cracking three more eggs onto Todoroki.

While he's cracking eggs, Kaminari and Ashido both pick up forks and stab an egg before taking a bite.

"You forgot the pepper," Kaminari says. Izuku gestures at the pepper shaker sitting _right in front of Kaminari_. Ochako, bless her soul, picks the shaker up and shakes some onto Kaminari's egg for him.

Izuku's attention is caught by the door to the part of the lodge the teachers and Pussycats stay in opening and closing.

"Oh no," he whispers, feeling his classmates freeze around him as they all catch sight of Aizawa together.

Their next three eggs aren't even _cooked_ yet.

Aizawa seems to sense something is off, though, because he looks up and meets Izuku's eyes. Izuku glances away, but he can already see their teacher coming over.

And then he stops. Right at the edge of the pavilion, but oh, his eyes are wide, and, yep, he's definitely looking at Todoroki.

"What," he says.

"We fried an _egg_," Kaminari raises his hands, "on his _LEG_!" He gestures at Todoroki's leg, grinning.

"We sanitized him first," Izuku adds, tapping his foot rather than twisting his hands together because he _still_ has raw egg on his fingers.

Aizawa blinks, opening his mouth.

"And Todoroki said it was okay," Izuku cuts him off. Their teacher sighs and shakes his head.

"Whatever. Don't do it again."

"Yes, sir," all five of them say.

Honestly, the egg, for its… circumstances of origin, is not that terrible tasting. Todoroki wipes himself off with a wet paper towel and throws his shirt back on with the explanation that he'll be spending all day in a barrel of water anyway, no need to take a shower. Most of Class 1-B arrives just in time to hear that comment, and Izuku resolves not to let the weird looks they give them throw him off.

Day Three is incredibly similar to Day Two, with even similar kinds of training happening. They're all exhausted by the end, and this time, both classes work together to cook dinner. Izuku brings Kouta a bowl of dinner again, and this time, they don't speak to each other. Afterwards, Izuku does his standard training, except the students with heteromorphic quirks aren't completely released.

"Now!" Pixie-Bob says, prancing to the front of the classes. "Tonight's our test of courage! Class 1-B, you will meet Ragdoll out here at 2030 sharp! Class 1-A, you'll meet Mandalay, Tiger, and I out here at 2045 sharp! Got it?"

"Yes!"

"Good!" Pixie-Bob claps her hands together once. "You're released until then!"

All of 1-A shows up five minutes early to the test of courage. The three Pussycats, along with Aizawa, are already there and waiting.

"Oh, you have them so well-trained!" Pixie-Bob gushes. "Class 1-B is already out and waiting! Are all of you ready for the test of courage?"

"Yeah!" Kirishima yells, fist pumping.

"We sure are!" Ashido agrees.

"Those 1-B kids won't know who hit them!" Kaminari agrees.

"Not you six," Aizawa says, pointing out the six remedial students. "You will be coming back to the classroom, with me."

Ashido groans. "No fair!"

"Life's not fair. Get a helmet," Aizawa replies, leading the six off. The rest of the class watches, wincing, until Pixie-Bob and Mandalay catch their attention and explain the test of courage. They'll be split into pairs, with one team of three (so that no one is alone with the odd numbers).

Yaoyorozu and Aoyama are the first to enter, followed three minutes later by Ochako and Tsuyu. Pairs three and four—Shouji and Tokoyami, and Jirou and Todoroki—have both entered and Mashirao and Shiozaki are getting ready to go in when Mandalay freezes.

"Do you smell that?" she says.

"Smells like smoke," Tiger agrees.

"Someone scared Todoroki so bad he set the forest on fire!" Hagakure gushes, and Mashirao raises his eyebrows.

"Uh, Hagakure? That's a bad thing," he says.

No one has a chance to reply as Pixie-Bob glows pink and is yanked across the clearing.

Everyone watches her flight path, watches as she slams head-first into a rectangular metal _thing_ and crumples to the ground at the feet of two women.

"So sorry to interrupt," the, the _not-grey_ one says, her red-stained lips curling into a dangerous smile. "We just need you kitty-cats out of the way."

Izuku feels his feet shift, feels him move towards the _interlopers_. Except—Tiger and Mandalay are there. Tiger holds one arm out in front of Izuku, preventing him from going any further.

"You need to get your classmates back to the lodge," Mandalay orders. Izuku nods, glancing back at Hagakure, Kouda, Mashirao, Shiozaki. He can do that. He can see them to safety.

"Wait," he gasps, fear kicking the supports out from under his heart. "_Kouta_."

"We have to trust he knows what to do and is hiding," Mandalay says. "None of us except Ragdoll knows where his hideout is."

"_I do_," Izuku gasps, except he's shoved back by Tiger as the two women—villains—run forwards.

"Did you say you know where that boy is?" Shiozaki asks, her hands on Izuku's upper arms as he stumbles backwards from the force of Tiger's shove.

"Yes," he replies, not bothering with sign, even though Mashirao's there to translate. "With—with villains in the forest, I can't just trust that he'll be safe. Can you make sure they," he jerks his chin towards their three classmates, "make it back to the lodge?"

"No," Mashirao says, stepping towards them. "I'm coming with you."

Izuku blinks, pauses, shakes his head. "No, you go back to the lodge. You're our best at hand-to-hand, you can make sure they make it back—"

"While I come with you," Shiozaki finishes his thought, nodding.

Mashirao looks at her, his eyebrows drawn tight. "Take care of him," he asks, voice strained.

"I can take care of myself," Izuku says, wincing as he sees Mandalay take an exceptionally hard hit from the grey-skinned villain.

"I'll see him back safely," Shiozaki promises. "Godspeed, Ojiro."

Mashirao looks lost for a moment. Behind him, Kouda is talking to… some owls, it looks like. "Oh, uh, Godspeed?"

"Thank you," Shiozaki dips her head for a moment.

"Wait!" Kouda says as the two green-haired teens get ready to run into the forest. "They," he gestures at the owls and then continues signing, "promised to follow you! They'll come get me at the lodge if anything happens to you!"

"That's genius," Izuku says. "Thank you, Kouda."

Kouda nods, his mouth closed tight. He swallows, and then runs off towards the lodge, followed by Mashirao and Hagakure while Shiozaki and Izuku glance at each other and run towards the woods, sprinting right past Tiger and the villain he was fighting.

"Where do you two think you're going!" he shouts, blocking a punch from the villain.

"Have faith! We'll save Kouta!" Shiozaki yells over her shoulder before they're into the trees and running from the clearing.

Izuku takes the lead, vaulting logs and dodging branches until he finds the little trail that leads up to Kouta's hideout. It takes five minutes to walk there from the main pavilion. At this pace, they'll make it in less than two.

Will that be enough?

Shiozaki keeps pace with him, but he can hear her struggling, her breathing quickly growing labored. He gets it: they're both completely exhausted. But that doesn't mean they can stop.

…They can maybe afford to slow up, some, though. He slackens his pace just a little bit. It won't do them any good to be completely exhausted when they get to Kouta, after all.

As they approach the hideout, Izuku holds his arm out, a signal to slow down. They do, and they approach quietly. He can hear a man laughing.

There should not be a man up here.

"Ah, the Water Hose's kid," the man says, and Izuku can hear the sadistic grin the man definitely has. "I knew they had a son, but I wasn't expecting to run across you here! This must be something like fate."

_Something like fate._

**Something like fate**, another voice hisses in Izuku's ear, a voice that's one month ago and right now and never.

"What's the plan?" Shiozaki hisses.

"You distract him and we hope he doesn't have a heteromorphic quirk," Izuku hisses back, and she nods. "Don't announce your presence—just attack."

Shiozaki nods again.

"I know you," Kouta's saying. "You're. You're Muscular. You killed my parents."

"And now I'm going to kill you," he growls.

"Now," Izuku hisses, and Shiozaki runs around the corner, her vines, tired as they are, already plunging ahead, weaving a wall between the man—Muscular—and his victim—Kouta. Izuku sprints out, taking advantage of the distraction of Shiozaki's quirk in order to close the ground and slap five fingers down on Muscular's bare arm.

He knows this villain, and he knows of the Water Hose, and some things are starting to make sense now.

Muscular, the villain who killed the Water Hose, has a transformation quirk.

Izuku's quirk activates, a flash of red lightning, and he dodges backwards, the wind from Muscular's punch ruffling his shirt.

"What the-? Oh, you're the Midoriya kid," Muscular grins. "I was warned about you. The boss wants a chat with you, says you're _old friends_."

Izuku _snarls_. They are _not_ old friends. He hears Shiozaki's vine barrier come unwound behind him, and he dodges another hit in time to see more of her vines writhing forward, twisting and wrapping around Muscular's arms. They hold the villain long enough for Izuku to get a few feet away, before Muscular tears out of them with brute strength and a laugh, full-bodied, throwing his head back.

"Sorry, girlie," he says. "Your pretty plants aren't enough to hold me."

"I'm sorry, Midoriya," Shiozaki says. She's holding her hand out, keeping Kouta behind her. "After training… I just don't have enough-!"

She scoops up Kouta and leaps backwards while Izuku dives to the side, rolling out of the way of Muscular's charge. Even without his quirk he's incredibly strong, a wall of muscle standing between them like a dark All Might.

"Get Kouta back to the lodge!" Izuku strains his voice, as loud as it will go now.

"I won't leave you!"

Izuku dodges backwards, the wind off Muscular's swing brushing by his face. "I'm not asking you to!"

Does she get it? Does she get what he's trying to tell her? He can't look, Muscular is too fast, too strong, always right there, right in his face, and it's everything he can do to avoid the hits that just keep coming.

"Those are some awful pretty scars on your neck there," the man growls as Izuku ducks under another hit. Izuku tries, fails, can't move fast enough to get behind the man, can't do _anything_—"Maybe by the end of the night you'll have a few more to match them. Too bad for you your pretty little lady-friend left you behind." Muscular laughs. "You might've stood a chance."

Shiozaki left. Please, _please_ let her understand, please let their time together in class have been long enough.

"Hey, before I tear you apart, you mind telling me where we could find your friend Tokoyami? It'll save us a lot of time and effort that would be better spent elsewhere."

"_Never_," Izuku spits, and that's his mistake as a large fist slams into his gut and another hand grabs his right arm and—

Something snaps, and Izuku collapses, his face being ground into the dirt as his arm—broken, fresh, snapped—is held behind him, pain shooting up the limb. He can barely breathe.

"I bet you wish you'd just surrendered, but that wouldn't've been half as fun." Muscular's breath is hot, warm against Izuku's neck, and he shivers, remembering someone else's whispers, someone else's breath on the shell of his ear, the back of his neck.

And then, the weight is gone.

"Get _away_ from him!" that's Shiozaki, running forward, pulling him to his feet, pulling him after her by his uninjured arm.

"You little _bitch_!" Muscular yells, but he sounds… somewhat distant, and Shiozaki keeps a tight grip on Izuku's hand as she pulls him forward.

"I sent Kouta back to the lodge," she gasps out between breaths. "I don't—I don't think I have any, anything left, with my, my quirk."

"That's okay," Izuku pants.

They can no longer hear Muscular screaming, and so they slow down.

"I can't go to the lodge anyways—they, they're after Tokoyami, I need to get to Mandalay so she can _warn_ them," he says, and Shiozaki shakes her head.

"No. Midoriya, you _can't_. Your arm is broken and you look like you're about to fall over," she says. He glances over and her eyes are wide, a sheen of sweat on her forehead and temples and neck.

"It's fine. Tokoyami broke my arm in the Sports Festival and I could still fight," he replies, tacking on a smile.

"_This is not the Sports Festival_," Shiozaki hisses, glaring at him. "Let's at least—see if Kouta made it back?"

Izuku inhales, holds, exhales. "Alright." He nods. "Alright. We'll at least make sure Kouta made it there."

"Alright." Shiozaki doesn't let go of his uninjured hand, this time leading him down the trail back to the lodge. The pain in Izuku's arm, in his stomach, is a low throb—for now. His arm is sure to hurt more later, and that was _not_ a clean little break like Tokoyami had given him in the Sports Festival. The motion Muscular had used… it was spiral, at best. He was lucky it wasn't a compound fracture.

His self-assessment halts as he hears something like… like crying.

"Hey, do you hear that?" he says, glancing around. "It sounds like…"

"Crying," Shiozaki nods. "It's… There could be more villains here."

"That's what I'm thinking," Izuku mutters. His throat burns, too, mustn't forget that.

Except—it's not some villain, pretending to be a child in distress.

It _is_ a child in distress. It's Kouta, curled up just off the path, crying and shaking and trying to cry quiet (Izuku knows what it looks like, may have tried to do so on occasion in the past-)

"Kouta," Shiozaki says, crouching down next to him. "It's okay, Kouta. We're here, now. Midoriya's fine, see? I went and got him, just like I said." Her voice is soft, gentle.

Kouta sniffs, blinks, looks up, and Izuku crouches down next to Shiozaki.

"Hey," he says, his voice coming out semi-strangled. "I'm okay, see? And so are you. Let's get you back to the lodge, alright?" He holds out his left hand, the uninjured one, and feels a jolt of surprise as Kouta takes it, takes Izuku and Shiozaki's hands, and lets them pull him to his feet, lets Shiozaki pick him up and carry him on her back towards the lodge.

Izuku takes off at a jog, the sudden anxiety of Muscular nipping at his heels, and Shiozaki follows suit, despite the exhaustion, despite carrying Kouta. She's… she's _amazing_, honestly.

And then there's movement in the forest up ahead. Izuku is attack first, ask questions maybe, launching himself forward with every bit of adrenaline he has left, and it sends him crashing right into Aizawa. His teacher catches him, steadies him, hands on his shoulders.

Is it just him, or is the relief in the choked "_Midoriya_" actually there?

"Mr. Aizawa," he gasps, as Shiozaki runs up next to them, Kouta on her back. There's smoke in the forest, thick and heavy and black, and it stings Izuku's nose.

"You three need to get back to the lodge," Aizawa says, and Izuku shakes his head.

"No," he says. "No. They're after Tokoyami—We need to, we need to get to Mandalay so she can warn everyone."

"_No_," Aizawa growls, his hands gripping tight on Izuku's shoulders. "I'll go warn her. You make sure Shiozaki and Kouta make it back to the lodge."

"I—" Izuku gasps. "But—"

"The fire," a small voice says, and everyone turns to look at Kouta. "Someone needs to put out the fire. I—I have a water quirk. I can do it."

"You're _five_," Aizawa snaps.

"But what'll happen if I _don't_?" Kouta protests. "The whole forest'll burn down!"

Well, he's not wrong! Those blue flames are definitely from a quirk and definitely _not_ slowing down.

Izuku watches Aizawa, watches him consider and discard idea after idea.

"Fine," he says, biting his lip. "Fine. Shiozaki, give Kouta to me, and go with Midoriya. Midoriya, Shiozaki, when you see Mandalay, I need you to give her this message from me: The students of U.A. classes 1-A and 1-B are granted permission to use their quirks in combat under the authority of Pro Hero Eraserhead, for the purpose of protecting themselves from this villain attack."

Izuku nods. "Got it." He hears Shiozaki echo a similar message behind him.

"Shiozaki, make sure that he goes right to the lodge after he passes his messages on," Aizawa orders.

She nods. "Yes, sir."

And Aizawa turns his eyes to Izuku.

"Midoriya," he says. "_Izuku_. Promise me. You will turn around and go right back to the lodge as soon as you pass your message on."

Izuku looks up. Meets his gaze. Nods.

"I promise," he says.

Aizawa releases him.

**:)**

**expected update: 13 May, 2020**


	26. i'm going to need you to set me down

**warnings: canon-typical violence, blood, eye trauma, Moonfish's teeth, Toga, someone gets fucking kidnapped**

He's glad Shiozaki's with him. Her presence at his side is becoming swiftly familiar, despite the fact that, before this camp, they barely talked. She's steadfast, reliable, and has already saved his life.

So, they run together, back to the clearing the test of courage started in.

"What are you doing back here?"

Tiger is the first one to notice their presence, growling his question as he slams the villain with her own weapon. The hit dazes her, but she turns quickly, grabbing her weapon, and now both of them have their hands on it.

"We have a message for Mandalay!" Shiozaki yells. "The students of U.A. classes 1-A and 1-B are granted permission to use their quirks in combat under the authority of Pro Hero Eraserhead, for the purpose of protecting themselves from this villain attack!"

Mandalay nods, and instantly, Izuku can hear the message being relayed into his own head, as well, which really helps the steadily-deepening headache he has from his quirk.

"One more thing!" Izuku says this one, and he can tell Mandalay is straining to hear. "The villains are after Tokoyami!"

She nods.

"_One more thing,"_ her voice says in their head, "_the villains are targeting Tokoyami. His protection should be a top priority!_"

"Alright, Midoriya," Shiozaki says. "We need to go back to the lodge now."

Izuku nods. He's promised Aizawa, after all, so he turns and follows her as she starts to run off, his injured arm tucked to his side.

He's almost caught up with Shiozaki when there's a crashing, a crack from the forest, and Muscular bursts out, stopping between the two students yet again, the same bloodthirsty grin on his face. Izuku scrambles to change direction, the motions jarring his broken arm.

"You didn't think I was letting you get away so easily, did you?" Muscular crows, throwing himself after Izuku. Izuku runs, sprinting, towards the forest, away from the lodge, because he _cannot_ lead this villain back there ignoring the fact that Vlad King and many of his classmates and _Bakugou_ are back there but Muscular's between him and Shiozaki, between him and the path back to the lodge, between him and _safety_ anyways.

So he sprints towards the trees. He's small, fast, agile, and Muscular, for all his speed, is still a tank, not a flanker. He can lose him in the forest. He has to trust that he can. Maybe, maybe he could wind his way through, get around in front of the villain, circle back around towards where Aizawa was…

"Midoriya!" he can hear Shiozaki's cry behind him, but he doesn't stop. She's already out of power, out of energy, and he, despite his injuries, has a lot left to give.

"You may block my quirk, but that's not enough to level the playing field between us!" Muscular is still too close, even as Izuku winds through the trees, deeper into the forest, Muscular can keep pace. And—it doesn't help that he's _right_. If Izuku had his staff, his guns, any of his support gear, _then_ it might be an even fight.

But now? Alone, injured, with no weapons—

Wait.

He doesn't have Zero Gravity to throw logs at Muscular with, but that doesn't mean he can't use the forest as a weapon, the same way his classmates did during the run to camp.

Now, think.

Muscular is, effectively, quirkless now, but still levels above Izuku in terms of strength. But—he'll have weak points.

Izuku curses as he stumbles over a rock. He keeps his feet and continues running, but that's enough to draw Muscular back over. He must move fast, before the villain has a chance to react, before he can rethink this.

He dips down and grabs a broken branch, one end jagged and sharp—a fresh fall. The bark is rough in his left hand. All he has is the one arm to strike with, but it will be enough.

It has to be enough.

There's a log coming up, right in his path, and a rock just to the left he can use, too. With one foot, he launches off the rock, and both feet come together just this side of the log. With a jump, he turns his forward momentum upwards, to the right, a corkscrew spiral as he brings his left hand around.

Muscular is right there, his lips still curled in that same hungry grin, his eyes widening in surprise? Joy? Something.

Izuku whips around and buries the sharp end of the branch into the flesh of Muscular's right eye socket. There's a squelch and a roar of pain. As he falls, Izuku's foot snaps out, catching Muscular in the crotch, and, well, there's the second yell.

He hits the ground and rolls, putting distance between himself and the villain, ignoring the burst of pain in his right arm. The man himself is on the ground, curled up, and Izuku turns and runs.

"Get back here! I'm going to _kill_ you!" Muscular's roar echoes through the trees, and a flutter of wings nearby startles Izuku, sending a fresh shot of adrenaline through him.

It's just an owl.

_Kouda_.

A small smile flickers across Izuku's lips, even as he hears Muscular's yells, the crashes of him breaking his way through the forest.

Except—

Wait.

There's Muscular. Those are definitely his screams, back at his seven o'clock.

There's something else, up ahead, at his two o'clock, something else big and powerful slamming its way around.

Someone else's screaming.

Something else's roaring.

He almost recognizes it. Where has he heard it before?

"I want your _blood_!" There's Muscular, except. He sounds further away now. Maybe?

And then—

Something yanks him off his feet. There's—there's something around his mouth, something warm, and he can barely move, they're _strong_, so he opens his mouth and bites down.

Whoever's holding him grunts.

"Midoriya." The voice is low, familiar. "I'm sorry for scaring you, but we need to be quiet."

_Shouji_.

Breathing through his nose, he relaxes. Shouji's grip slackens as Izuku exhales, until it's no longer a vice.

"What's happening?" he hisses.

"Tokoyami," Shouji replies. "He lost control of Dark Shadow. What's chasing you?"

"A villain," Izuku whispers. He glances around, thankful for the full moon that gives them enough light to just barely make out the shapes of the forest around them. "I think we can bait Dark Shadow into taking him out, though."

"What then?"

Izuku blinks, his mind racing. He can feel his heart pounding, the break in his arm throbbing in beat with it.

"Jirou and Todoroki were sent in after you," he says. "We can go find them. Todoroki's fire can bring Dark Shadow back under control."

Shouji nods, once.

"I'm going to need you to set me down," Izuku adds.

Shouji sets him down.

"We'll split up and bait him from different directions. We can… bounce him back and forth between us."

"Understood." Shouji nods, and with a couple snappy gestures that are clear to anyone, Izuku sends him into the woods.

He waits, one heartbeat, two, three, before deliberately snapping a branch and taking off running.

It… doesn't take very long, all told, to bait Muscular and Dark Shadow to each other. Izuku all but runs into the villain, saved from it only by Shouji darting over and grabbing him, wrapping him up, _again_, in his arms, just in time to hit the ground as Dark Shadow screams towards them.

Muscular's yelling draws Dark Shadow's attention away from the teenagers and onto the villain, and it's all the two can do to watch as Dark Shadow pummels Muscular, dark limbs slamming into light flesh.

"I can hear Todoroki and Jirou," Shouji whispers. He's shielding Izuku with his body, crouched over him like a guardian. "They're fighting someone."

"Then you lead," Izuku replies. "Dark Shadow probably remembers how my quirk works—I'll chase him towards you."

Shouji nods and stands, leaving Izuku to roll away and try to stay unnoticed.

"Tokoyami!" Shouji yells. "Stop fighting Dark Shadow! Trust us!"

And with that, he turns and runs. With a roar, Dark Shadow follows him, and Izuku catches a glimpse of Tokoyami, trapped in the middle of the dark maelstrom, his eyes wide with terror.

He doesn't notice Izuku.

Izuku, who spares a moment to glance at Muscular. At the bloody socket where the man's right eye once was, before Izuku gouged it out. At the blood, running down half his face, still oozing out of the injury.

The villain's unconscious. Dark Shadow was out for blood, just like the man himself.

He shakes himself and turns away to run after Dark Shadow and Shouji. It's not difficult to follow the trail of destruction through the trees. Snapped branches, flattened brush, furrows where _something's_ gouged out bits of the ground. Dark Shadow has long since lost the sense for subtlety.

There's shouts, coming from up ahead, shouts that sound like Jirou and Todoroki and someone Izuku's never heard before, but the very timbre of their voice feels like nails being dragged down his spine, hitting and jarring every vertebra as they go. He's right behind Shouji and Dark Shadow as they burst out into the path, now a maze of ice and—teeth?

Yeah, those are teeth.

"Todoroki!" Shouji yells. "We need you to use your fire to subdue Dark Shadow!"

"Can he smash this villain for us first?" Jirou asks. Her voice is shaking as she watches Dark Shadow throw the straightjacketed villain into the ground.

"He seems to have already done so," Todoroki says. There's a light layer of frost coating his skin that quickly melts as flames flicker to life on his left side. "Shouji, get back."

Shouji ducks behind a pillar of ice as Todoroki thrusts his left hand forward, sending a whirlwind of flame into the air, arcing over and around Dark Shadow.

It takes moments, less than ten seconds for Dark Shadow to shrink and for Tokoyami to be the one left standing there, panting, his arms wrapped around himself. Todoroki extinguishes his flames and approaches Tokoyami.

"My apologies," Tokoyami says, his gaze fixed firmly on the ground. "It seems I am in your debt."

"That's not how it works," Izuku says, and Todoroki and Jirou both whirl around to face him.

"Midoriya?" Jirou asks. "When did you get here?"

"Uh, I followed Shouji and Tokoyami?" Izuku replies, glancing around the area. "We can talk as we go, but we need to get back to the lodge. Tokoyami, you heard Mandalay's announcement?"

"That I am the target?" Tokoyami nods. "Yes. That's… what set Dark Shadow off."

"So we need to take extra precautions with you, and make sure they don't get what they want," Izuku replies, frowning. "It would be quicker to cut through the forest—"

"But who knows what sort of other villains are out there," Jirou finishes, glancing behind herself, at the smoke rising from the burning forest.

"It's longer, but it's better to take the path," Izuku says. "We might find Ochako, Tsuyu, Yaoyorozu, and Aoyama, too, as we go."

"And maybe more of Class B," Todoroki says, crouching down next to—That's a Class B student, Tsuburaba, if Izuku's remembering correctly.

"I can carry him," Shouji says. "If you help Midoriya splint his arm."

Todoroki nods, moving over towards Izuku. His arm is broken just below the elbow, both radius and ulna, and Jirou sacrifices her jacket so that Todoroki can wrap Izuku's arm and bind it close to his torso.

A scream carries through the air, and everyone startles.

"That's it. We need to go," Izuku says, eyes wide, blinking as he glances around into the trees, up in the air, back at the ice fortress. "Tokoyami, stay in the middle."

The shorter boy nods, and without protest, slips into the middle of the group, bracketed by Jirou and Shouji. Todoroki and Izuku glance at each other.

"Watch our back," Izuku says, and Todoroki nods, taking up the rear while Izuku leads them forwards.

Their plan is working _great_ until they run across Tsuyu and Ochako facing another villain. Ochako is pinned underneath the other girl while Tsuyu's stuck to a tree with knives in her clothes and—oh, ouch, that one's in her _tongue_, no wonder she hasn't escaped yet.

"Oh, no fair," the villain girl pouts, looking up at the arriving five. Izuku drops into a fighting stance and, catching motion from his peripheral vision, sees Jirou's earphone jacks flying towards the villain. She yelps and jumps away from Ochako.

"So sorry our time got cut short," the girl croons. "I'll see you soon, Ochako!"

There's a moment, while the villain's eyes are combing across the group, that she pauses and Izuku swears she's looking at him.

"I look forward to getting to know you, Izuku," she coos, a blush rising to her cheeks before she turns and runs into the woods.

"Come on!" Ochako is scrambling to her feet. "We can't let her get away!"

"No, wait, Ochako," Tsuyu says, her words slurred. "We shouldn't. We were only given permission to defend ourselves, not chase down villains."

"Besides," Izuku jumps in. "We need to make sure Tokoyami gets back to the lodge."

"Tokoyami?" Ochako asks. Behind her, Tsuyu reaches up and pulls the knife out of her tongue.

"Yeah," Izuku nods, turning back to gesture. "We're escorting—"

Tokoyami's not there.

Neither is Todoroki.

"If you're escorting Tokoyami, then where is he?" Tsuyu asks.

"Todoroki's missing too," Izuku whispers.

"Ah, that would be my doing."

The group turns as one to see a man in a mask wave at them, hanging on a branch over their heads.

"You see," he says, "I've used my magic to grab your friends. I'm sure they'll be much happier with us, where they'll have a true chance to shine." His wrist flicks, revealing two round, blue marbles between his fingers. "I'll be taking them with me." He slides the marbles into a pocket.

Izuku's stomach drops. These villains are working for—for Shigaraki, who works for _him_.

He _cannot_ allow his friends to end up in _his_ grasp.

"We're not going to let that happen," Izuku hisses. Jirou picks up on his unspoken cue, her jacks hurtling up towards the villain who leaps away.

"Oh, children! You haven't even let me introduce myself yet! You see, I'm Mr. Compress of the League of Villains' Vanguard Action Squad. We're attacking your little camp here in order to make a statement: there's more than one perspective!" He's darting through the trees, the teenagers following below him. "You've let your ideals and perspectives be chosen for you, so we're here to reveal another way!"

"You insult us," Shouji growls, "if you think we've just _let_ our views and ideals be chosen for us."

"Ah, well, be that as it may be, I must be off now. I do apologize for only tricking you and running away—that is, indeed, what I am best at. Farewell for now!" And then he moves—fast.

"Fuck," Jirou hisses. "He's too fast."

"We can't let him take Tokoyami and Todoroki," Izuku hisses.

"None of us are fast enough to chase him," Shouji, one of the two who can hear Izuku's torn-up voice without having to be within a foot of him, replies.

"Not on the ground," Izuku agrees, turning to glance at the classmates with him. "But… maybe… Shouji, pass Tsuburaba over to Ochako. Ochako, you'll make Shouji, Jirou, and I weightless, and then Tsuyu will use her tongue to throw us towards Compress. Jirou and I will hold on to Shouji, and he'll use his arms to steer us."

Shouji blinks, once, twice, and then repeats the instructions. Ochako takes Tsuburaba on her back and touches Izuku, Jirou, and Shouji's arms. Jirou and Izuku climb onto Shouji's back together, one pair of the tallest boy's arms coming behind him to wrap around the two clinging to his back. That done, Tsuyu's tongue, already remarkably healed from its impalement, wraps around all three of them.

With one great heave, she flings them over the trees. Jirou and Izuku are protected from the wind, curled up as they are on Shouji's back, and he risks a glance at the world below them, trees flying by.

"Midoriya," Shouji yells. "Negation… Now!"

The fingers of Izuku's left hand brush over first Shouji and then Jirou's skin, a flash of red releasing Ochako's quirk as they hurtle into Compress. Izuku, still weightless, leaps forwards towards two villains, one in a body suit and one covered in burn scars. He stretches his hand forward, fingers splayed wide.

The burned villain sidesteps and Izuku closes his fist, negating Zero Gravity on himself. He tucks and rolls, springing to his feet and whirling around in time to dodge a blast of blue fire.

"Well, looks like we'll get a chance at you after all," the villain's voice is low, flat, disaffected. He sounds mildly interested _at best_.

Izuku doesn't respond. Even if he did, there's no point—it's not like anyone but Jirou and Shouji can really hear him right now.

He dodges another blast of flame, leaping to the side while taking stock of the fight. The bodysuit villain and Compress are fighting Shouji and Jirou… and _losing_. Well, Compress did say he was best at running and playing tricks. He's fast, but on the ground, he's no match for Jirou's jacks, and Shouji easily has the bodysuit villain handled.

That leaves Izuku, one-armed and running on adrenaline, to face the burned villain, he presses forward, dodging gouts of flame, and the villain backs up.

Of course. He has to have watched the Sports Festival, he must know Izuku is a close-range fighter.

"Compress, get ready to dodge," the burned villain growls. "Twice, switch!"

The burned villain and the bodysuited villain switch places. The maneuver is a little clumsy, but it does what it needs to. Burn scar is free to use his flames on Jirou and Shouji while bodysuit—Twice?—gets in close, with no skin bare for Izuku to use his quirk on.

With that one maneuver, the tide of the fight shifts. Izuku can't fight this villain one-armed, so he dodges, working his way back towards Shouji and Jirou. Shouji's picked Jirou up on his back again, and her hands are gripping his shoulders while she uses her jacks to attack, their sharp metal ends whip quick and forcing the fire villain to dodge unless he wants some fresh new laceration scars to go with the rest of his collection.

"Oh, I knew I'd be seeing you again!"

Izuku drops, narrowly dodging the flash of a knife. The girl who attacked Ochako and Tsuyu is here, and she's smiling.

It doesn't make him feel better.

"My name's Himiko," she says. "Toga Himiko, but you can call me Himi if you want!" She flicks a needle, of sorts, at him, and he dodges to the side. He will _not_ be calling her Himi, thank you very much.

"I'm so excited to get to know you better!" she says. "But, don't you think, maybe you'd look cuter if you just _bled_ a little more?"

No! No, he does not! He ducks another knife, pivoting and snapping his leg up and into Toga's arm, knocking the knife out of that hand.

"Ooh, you're _feisty_, I _li_—"

Shouji slams into Toga, knocking her backwards. She glares at him.

"You're interrupting," she growls. "I don't like that."

"Toga," the burned villain snaps. "Get over here. Compress?"

Izuku dodges the knife Toga throws, crashing right into Shouji, who was dodging another knife. Toga runs over to where the burned villain, Compress, and Twice are. Compress is searching his pockets.

"It seems as if I misplaced them," Compress says, and Shouji holds something out.

"That's because I took them," he says, right before a swirling black portal appears—

Along with a Noumu.

Jirou and Shouji both gasp, and, well, the black portals must be something Izuku missed that happened during the USJ incident. The Noumu, Twice, and Toga all step through the portal, the last of them blowing a kiss over her shoulder to Izuku.

He shudders.

"You took them, huh? It's a habit, one of the basics of magic." Compress asks, pulling his mask off. He opens his mouth, and there, nestled in his tongue, are two marbles. The two in Shouji's hand expand, transforming into broken branches which he drops, wide-eyed. The villain slides his mask back on. "When I flaunt something, it's because there's something else I don't want you to see. I wanted to give you a sense of false hope, and it seems I succeeded. It's truly been fun, tonight, but I have to go." He steps backwards, slowly, into the portal.

A beam of light cuts through the scene. It burns by Compress, blasting his mask off. Izuku's blinking lines out of his vision, but he's already moving, the sight of Aoyama's navel laser so familiar now that he doesn't even need to think about what it is—he just knows.

Shouji and Jirou are sprinting forward alongside him, all three of them fixated on the shining stones falling, falling—

"Compress!"

The marbles burst into two teenagers. Shouji reaches forward, wrapping a hand around Tokoyami's arm, and Jirou and Izuku both reach for Todoroki—

Compress kicks Todoroki's back, sending him crashing into Jirou, just as the burned villain reaches forward and wraps a hand around Izuku's forearm, yanking him forward and turning him around.

His uninjured wrist is trapped in the villain's vice-like grip and the villain's other hand is wrapping around his neck, fingers slotting almost perfectly into place over scars that look like fingerprints.

He kicks out behind him, hits flesh, and hears the villain grunt. In front of them, his classmates are rallying, Shouji and Tokoyami both running forward, their arms outstretched.

Izuku writhes in the villain's arms, but those hands are heating up, and he's in so much pain—

"Don't!" he gasps. "Don't follow me, you _can't_—"

The portal closes around them, cutting him away from the shattered expressions on his classmates' faces.

**Aizawa: why didn't you lead Muscular back to the lodge**

**Izuku: in my defense, I panicked**

**expected update day: Tuesday, 19 May, 2020**


	27. just let her make the tea

**warnings: kidnapping, dealing with the fallout thereof, implied/referenced torture, AFO being a creepy bastard**

"They're saying—over there!"

Shouta's following one of his students through a burning forest. The student in question happens to be one Kouda Kouji, his shyness forgotten in the rush of adrenaline and desperation of the night. They're followed by three more: Ojiro Mashirao, Monoma Neito carrying Izumi Kouta and a copied version of the boy's quirk, and Shiozaki Ibara, who refused to be left behind.

It's far from the ideal situation, but when the three students came running towards him, yelling that Midoriya needs help and that they can find him, there wasn't anything else he could do but let them help. Shouta has since then witnessed an astonishing number of owls fly by to speak with Kouda.

And, according to him, relaying the reports of the owls, they're almost to where Midoriya (and Shouji and Jirou) are fighting villains to retrieve their (Todoroki and Tokoyami) captured classmates.

And then, Shouta doesn't need Kouda's translations anymore, because he can hear the yelling. He reaches, finds just a little bit of _something_, and sprints forward with a speed he was sure he'd already exhausted that night.

He breaks into the clearing just in time to watch as Midoriya is dragged, kicking and screaming, through a portal he last saw at the USJ.

(Screaming, not so much, because the kid's voice was _gone_ despite the words he was clearly forming with his mouth-)

"Izuku!" Ojiro bolts past him, overtaking even Tokoyami, who had just been _reaching_ for Midoriya. He skids to a stop, right where the portal was, tail lashing as he looks around, head whipping back and forth.

"He—he. Shouji," that's Jirou, her jacks wrapping around each other as she climbs to her feet. She's covered in dirt, her hair tangled, and her face streaked with soot. "Shouji, did you hear that? Did—did you hear what he said?"

"He told us not to follow him," Shouji murmurs, just loud enough for everyone to hear.

"No!"

That's Uraraka's scream as she runs forward. Asui follows, leaping forward, and nearby, Aoyama creeps out of a bush. He's pale and shaking and his hair is a mess and only getting worse as he runs his hands through it.

"No, not again!" Uraraka falls to her knees next to Ojiro, her hands reaching up to grab fistfuls of hair. "Fuck! Why?"

…

Shouta takes a deep breath. He can't afford to freak out here, not with so many students around—students he is responsible for.

"All of you," he snaps, a little harsher than he intends to. "We're going back to the lodge. _Now_."

"But—" Uraraka begins, freezing as Shouta briefly activates his quirk.

"There's nothing we can do here," he replies. "And all of you need medical attention. Emergency services are on their way."

"Even me?" Monoma asks, gesturing at the column of smoke. The flames, however, are no longer burning blue, instead faded into the standard orange of wood fires.

"Yes," Shouta replies.

Todoroki is the first one to move, standing with little effort. His face is bowed, his hair hanging like a curtain in front of it, but he moves towards Shouta. Shouji and Jirou are the next to move, the tallest student—the only word for it is _scooping_—up Tokoyami and carrying him along. Asui, who is carrying a Class B student—Tsuburaba? Shouta really should learn the names of Vlad's students, beyond Tokage, Honenuki, Monoma, and Kendou—walks over to Uraraka and shakes her shoulder.

"Come on, Ochako," she says. "Mr. Aizawa is right. There's nothing we can do for him here."

Uraraka breathes in, a gasp, and nods, taking Asui's hand and letting the other girl pull her to her feet. Aoyama follows them, still not speaking, wringing his hands in front of him as he walks while Monoma gives one last glance to the fire as he walks away. That leaves Ojiro, still standing there, his tail lashing back and forth and tears beginning to fall down his face.

"Shiozaki, start heading back to the lodge," Shouta orders, taking a step towards Ojiro.

"Yes, sir," she replies, and turns. He watches his students start walking, Shiozaki encouraging them forward with steadying hands on their backs.

He can't waste time here.

"Ojiro," he says, taking another step forward. "We need to go now."

Ojiro turns, his eyes wide, not really seeing.

"I—he—_Mr. Aizawa_," he gasps. "He—they took him."

"Yes," Shouta nods.

"They—they took Izuku."

"They did." He nods again.

"Why—why Izuku?" Ojiro asks, taking a step towards Shouta.

"We don't know yet," Shouta replies. "Come on, Ojiro. Let's get you back to the lodge."

Ojiro inhales. It looks like, for a moment, he wants to argue, but he does not. Instead, he walks forward, and Shouta turns, herding him back towards the rest of the group.

They catch up easily. Neither of them is injured, and Ojiro isn't particularly tired, not compared to others like Shiozaki, Uraraka, and Shouji. His students are all quiet, not speaking, just trudging forward, heads down. There's Uraraka and Asui, hand-in-hand, and Shouji is still carrying Tokoyami while Jirou and Todoroki walk alongside him. Kouda is leading the group with Monoma, while Shiozaki brings up the rear, her hand resting on Aoyama's back.

Shouta's group is still subdued by the time they reach the lodge. Emergency services aren't there yet, but he can hear the sirens echoing off the hills. Tiger and Mandalay are performing triage while Kan corrals the conscious, less-injured students—namely, the remedial students.

"Eraser!" Kan growls. "There you are." He's holding a clipboard. "Which students do you have with you?"

Shouta rattles off the list of names, finishing by gesturing at the 1-B student he doesn't know the name of. Vlad mutters a name, _Tsuburaba_, and marks all the students off on the clipboard.

"That's almost all of them," he says, louder. "Just Kendou, Tetsutetsu, Awase, Yaoyorozu, and Midoriya."

The students who were there freeze. Uraraka starts crying anew as Shouta strides over to Kan.

"Midoriya was taken," he hisses into the other teacher's ear. Shouji and Jirou are the only two with the hearing sharp enough to eavesdrop, and they were _there_. "I got there just in time to watch them take him through one of Kurogiri's portals."

Kan smothers his wince, marking something down on the clipboard.

"Okay," he says, matching Shouta's volume. "Ragdoll of the Pussycats is also missing."

Shouta blinks. Glances over the area. Sure enough, there's only three of the four Pussycats accounted for.

"The police will do a sweep of the forest," Kan adds, entirely unnecessarily.

What will they find in there, Shouta wonders.

He finds Detective Tsukauchi, snagging the elbow of the plain-looking man and startling him where he's overseeing the arrest of three villains, all of whom are unconscious.

"Whoever is being sent to Midoriya Inko," Aizawa says, "I'll go with them."

"That'll be me," Tsukauchi replies. "I was planning on leaving for hers as soon as everything was taken care of here. You can ride along with me."

Shouta nods and sends a quick text to Hizashi, letting his husband know that he doesn't need to rush to the campsite and that Shouta will be home… at some point.

Back by the lodge, all the students that don't need _hospitalized_ are having their statements taken. And doesn't that smart: there are sixteen students who have been taken off in ambulances, and of those sixteen, not a single one was conscious as they left.

Shouta lingers, lurking in the shadows as he watches over the students. Kan is hovering over Awase, Kendou, Tetsutetsu, Kodai, and Monoma, the only five of his students who weren't sent to the hospital. Of them, Tetsutetsu is in the worst shape, but should be fine with rest and some food.

Shouta's students… well. Only one of them was sent to the hospital, which means he has seventeen scared and angry teenagers to take care of.

He manages, keeping Bakugou separated from Uraraka, who looks like she wants to smash the other's face in for some reason. Shiozaki, despite her extensive exhaustion, is hovering over Tokoyami, Shouji, Jirou, and Todoroki while Hagakure talks quietly at Aoyama.

This would be more manageable, he thinks as he translates Kouda's signed statement for the officer taking it, if his class had a Vice Rep. Yaoyorozu is missing, and no one is taking up the slack. The closest is Shiozaki, but she's hardly taking charge just because she's hovering over four students. He hasn't pushed the issue yet, since it hasn't been that long since Iida's death, but maybe he'll have to when they return to school.

It seems like hours before all the statements are taken, injuries are taken care of, and the remaining students are packed onto a bus and sent back to U.A. where they'll be picked up by parents. Vlad King is on the bus that he's watching drive away, taking charge of the combined students of both classes while Shouta waits for Tsukauchi.

He doesn't have to wait long for the detective to walk over, two cups of coffee in his hands. Tsukauchi holds one out, and Shouta takes it with a thank you and a cautious sip.

"You remember how I take my coffee," he says, glancing over at Tsukauchi through half-lidded eyes.

"I try my best to remember how the heroes I work with the most take their coffee. You underground types tend to be a lot better to work with if we keep you happy, after all," the detective explains, leading Shouta to a plain-looking sedan. He takes the driver's seat while Shouta slides in the passenger side, keeping the coffee nestled in his hands rather than setting it in the cup holder. He only needs one hand to put his seatbelt on, after all.

"I wasn't expecting you to request to personally help break the news," Tsukauchi says as he pulls out of the parking spot.

Shouta drums his fingers on the coffee cup. Tsukauchi is… as trustworthy as detectives get, so he's probably safe letting him know everything.

"I… happen to be close to the Midoriyas," he says. "I've been training Midoriya for a few years now. Since there's no point in lying to you, we've been telling people that I'm his uncle, to help explain his quirk. I haven't heard the full story, but his biological father is a piece of work that both Midoriyas have been hiding from for years."

Tsukauchi raises his eyebrows. "Winning the Sports Festival isn't hiding."

"No, it's not," Shouta agrees, taking a sip of his coffee. He doesn't add any more explanation. How is he supposed to narrow down the conversations that he's been a part of, the reasoning he's heard, the conversations he hasn't been there for into something that would fit into a handful of sentences?

Tsukauchi, thankfully, moves on. "Do you think his biological father could have anything to do with the League of Villains?"

Shouta shrugs. "Honestly? I have no idea. I don't know enough about the situation." And, honestly, he's kicking himself for that right now. He should've pressed the matter sooner. He's respected their rights to their secrets, but has he not proven himself trustworthy yet?

"Okay." Tsukauchi nods. "It's possible they may have targeted him because of the encounter he had with Shigaraki in Kiyashi Ward. Perhaps he wants to finish what he started."

Shouta doesn't want to think about that. He doesn't want to even entertain that possibility, not right now. He knows, more than anyone, that Midoriya may not come back, but he doesn't want to consider that yet.

So, instead he considers other things.

"Would he want him enough to instruct the Action Squad to sacrifice two other hostages for the chance to get Midoriya? I've been listening to my students give statements all night. They deliberately sacrificed the chance to kidnap Todoroki and Tokoyami just to grab Midoriya."

Tsukauchi clicks his tongue. "We don't know enough of his psychological profile to answer that. I want to say yes, but I can't guarantee it. It's also possible that Shigaraki's master has something to do with this. From his statement, after Kiyashi Ward, Midoriya mentioned that Shigaraki found their quirks—Midoriya and Shigaraki's master—to be similar." The quiet horror that begins to thread its way into Tsukauchi's tone has Shouta raising his eyebrows.

"You sound like you have an idea who Shigaraki's master is."

Tsukauchi chews on his lip for a moment before responding. "Have you heard of a man called All For One?"

Shouta almost drops his coffee, blinking rapidly as the words process and sink in and send a spear of terror through his heart.

"There's no one underground who _hasn't_," he hisses. "The man who can take and give, alive since the dawn of quirks? He's practically an urban legend…"

"Practically." Tsukauchi nods.

"No one's heard a whisper from him in years." Shouta shakes his head. His breathing is starting to come shallower, so he starts taking deeper breaths and holding them. "We'd hoped he'd died."

"We hoped that, too," Tsukauchi replies. "But with the existence of Noumu…"

Shouta exhales, breath hissing out through his clenched teeth. It makes sense—too much sense.

"But why." He pauses to take a sip of his coffee, and then another, before continuing. "Why would he target Midoriya?"

"For his quirk, maybe? You're the most familiar with him. How powerful is Negation?"

A building in a training ground enters his mind's eye.

"Very," he replies.

Tsukauchi winces. "There you go. Imagine that on his side."

Shouta doesn't _want_ to imagine it, but he does anyways. How would it happen? All For One is known for _taking_ quirks. Is that why Midoriya and Ragdoll were targeted? Both have useful quirks.

…That has to be the only option for Search. It's not something that's useful without intelligence behind it. But, Negation…

He shakes his head.

He does not want to go down that road, not right now.

"There… _is_ another possibility," Tsukauchi says. "If Shigaraki mentioned a similarity between Midoriya and All For One's quirks… Is it possible _that's_ the biological father they're running from?"

"If it is, then Midoriya Inko is a much more dangerous woman than we give her credit for," Shouta replies. "To go to ground so thoroughly that All For One can't find them for fourteen years?"

Tsukauchi nods. "That would be impressive."

They converse in fits and starts after that until they're pulling into a visitor spot at the Midoriyas' apartment complex. Tsukauchi shuts off the car, and they both sit there for a moment until Shouta opens the door and sets the ball rolling. It's almost 2300, and any sane person would be asleep, but Midoriya Inko is a trauma nurse who gets off at 2230 on Wednesday nights.

She'll still be awake.

They take the stairs, climbing to the fifth floor. Shouta takes the lead, stopping outside the correct door, and lets Tsukauchi do the knocking.

There's the sound of movement from inside, and he can hear Inko's voice getting louder as she gets closer.

"—and honestly, at _this time of night_." She opens the door, already glaring. "And what do you—Oh. Oh no. Something's gone wrong, hasn't it?" She takes a step back, leaving the door open. "Come on," she says, gesturing them inside. "There, there's no need to have this conversation, to have it out here."

The Midoriyas' apartment has always felt welcoming to Shouta, and even now, even in this circumstance, that feeling remains. Inko looks worn, which is to be expected after a shift, but a weight seems to settle around her shoulders just by adding the presence of Tsukauchi and Shouta.

It's not long before the two men are sitting at the dinner table while Inko puts tea on.

"Would either of you like any?" she asks. Tsukauchi looks like he's about to shake his head, but Shouta leans over.

"Just let her make the tea," he whispers.

"Shouta, the tea's not for you, it's for _me_," Inko replies. "But if either of you would like any, I will make some for you."

"I would appreciate that, as long as you're offering," Tsukauchi replies, and, oh, Shouta can understand the depths of Inko's sigh.

"I _am_ offering, that is the point," she says. "Herbal tea fine for both of you?"

"Yes, of course," Tsukauchi agrees. He glances over at Shouta, an eyebrow raised. What does that mean, Tsukauchi, Shouta's not a mind reader.

The tea's ready within a couple minutes, and then the three of them are sitting there. Tsukauchi is staring into his tea like maybe it'll swallow him whole while Shouta wraps his hands around the cup, letting the warm sink into his bones.

"So. Detective. Shouta. What's happened?" Inko's voice is full of steel and her gaze drills holes into them.

…Shouta can completely see her standing up to a villain as legendary as All For One, honestly.

Tsukauchi is the one to answer. "This evening, the first years' training camp was attacked by members of the League of Villains."

"That's the group Shigaraki Tomura belongs to, right?" Inko asks, and Tsukauchi nods. The muscles in her jaw tense.

"As a result of this attack, your son was taken by the League of Villains."

Inko swallows. Once. Twice. She's blinking, and Shouta can see the tears building up in her eyes.

"Taken. Izuku was… taken. Kidnapped?" Her hands clench into fists, her nails scraping over the smooth surface of the table. "He's in the hands of the League of Villains?"

Shouta bows his head, guilt and regret and a deep thread of _terror_ curling through him. "I apologize," he says. "It was my responsibility to watch over him, and I failed terribly."

"I—I—_No_, Shouta," Inko says, and he looks up to see her shaking her head, tears streaming down her face. "No. It's…" She swallows. "It might be my fault, too, because I should have been more honest with you."

"Wh—" his voice cuts out, and he swallows. "What do you mean?"

Inko takes a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment. "Do you trust Detective Tsukauchi?"

"Yes," Shouta replies.

"With—Even—" she seems to be struggling for words, trying to find the best way to ask. Her eyes open, and Shouta finds himself watching as she pins Tsukauchi with her gaze. "Who do you answer to, Detective Tsukauchi?"

"I'm not sure what you're asking," Tsukauchi replies, leaning back, just a little, until his back hits the back of the chair.

"He's not one of the Commission's dogs," Shouta answers. He can almost taste his own intrigue. Where is Inko going with this?

"Okay." Inko nods. "Okay, that's good. Is he right, Detective? Who do you answer to, if not the Commission?"

"The people," Tsukauchi replies, and then purses his lips. "All Might, sometimes, but… he's hardly a Commission dog, himself."

Inko nods again. "Okay. I suppose it's time I told you about Izuku's father, then. But first, I think we should have this conversation somewhere else. If Izuku's been targeted, then I can't be far behind."

"Hizashi and I have a spare bedroom," Shouta replies.

Inko nods.

She rides in the back seat of Tsukauchi's car, only two bags with her. Shouta had offered the front seat to her, but she had declined. He texted Hizashi as she was packing, and with Inko's blessing, his husband was being included in the coming conversation.

This car ride isn't that long. This late at night, there's little traffic, so they're to Shouta and Hizashi's apartment in less than half an hour. The three of them walk upstairs together, and Hizashi's waiting with hot cocoa when they get there.

"You didn't have to," Inko begins to say.

"I wanted to," Hizashi replies, shoving a mug into her hands as soon as her bags are set down.

They settle in the living room. Shouta and Hizashi's ragged little three-legged ex-stray settles down next to Inko and begins purring like a freight train while Inko, like she's not even thinking about it, runs a hand over tortoiseshell fur.

"So," she says. "Izuku's biological father. I'm sure that you, Shouta, have heard of him. Detective, perhaps you have as well."

She takes a deep breath and then bites her lip. "It feels… wrong, to tell you without him. This may be my ex-fiancé, but, well, it doesn't feel right to tell you without Izuku." She takes a deep breath, and it's Shouta's turn to cut her off.

"No," he says, shaking his head. "You don't have to tell us now." He glances over at Tsukauchi, who nods. "I think we've already figured it out, ourselves."

Inko blinks. "No, I do. I should've talked to Izuku about telling you much, much sooner than now. That's a mistake I can't rectify, but I can take steps forward, and the first one is to tell you now. Izuku's biological father is the villain known as All For One."

Shouta presses his lips together while Tsukauchi reaches up and drags a hand down his face.

Meanwhile, Hizashi is completely lost. "Okay, I must be missing so much context for this! Who is All For One and how scared should I be?"

"Very," Shouta replies, while Inko takes a sip of her hot cocoa.

"He's been alive since the dawn of quirks," she says. "His quirk? The power to take quirks from others, to use for himself or to pass on at will."

"From the dawn of quirks?" Hizashi asks. "That… he has to be _at least_ 200 years old!"

"He's stolen an immortality quirk or two in that time," Inko says. "And we suspect he may be behind the League of Villains, based on some things Izuku's told me about what Shigaraki said to him in that mall."

It's like a completely different woman has taken the place of Midoriya Inko. Yes, Shouta's known his fake sister has a spine of steel underneath the tears and outward shows of emotion, but this… this is something different.

"Yes, that fits with our theories, too," Tsukauchi agrees. "How much do you know about All For One?"

"More than I should and not enough to make a difference," she replies. She bites her lip, and the Inko Shouta's gotten to know returns. "I… realize this puts me in a bad light. I will admit that I knew I was getting into bed with a villain, but I had no idea what I was actually getting into." She shakes her head. "Izuku… he changed _everything_. You think you know how the world works, you think you know _yourself_, and then you have a child…" She shakes her head. "He looked at our child the same way he'd look at a particularly useful tool, or a favored weapon. And, eventually, I noticed that he… looked at _me_ like that."

She swallows hard and looks down, into her mug of cocoa. "It took me two years to get us out. And, and now—now Izuku may be, may be back there, back with that… with _him_?" She reaches up, her hand covering half her face, her bangs hanging in front of her eyes. She bites her lip, and Hizashi's leaning over, putting a hand on her shoulder, which is starting to shake. She's trying to hold back sobs.

She fails.

Shouta stands and walks to the couch, crouching down in front of Inko. He can't move Monster, because that cat is _still_ purring loud enough that the neighbors can probably hear her, and Hizashi has already taken up residence on Inko's other side.

So.

He crouches down and puts a hand on her knee.

"We're going to do everything in our power to get him back," he says. "If he is alive, we _will_ get him out of there."

He knows better than to make those promises but hell. This is his fake half-sister who's had what's probably her worst nightmare come to life, right in front of her. If there is some comfort he can give her, then he will.

"You can't promise that," she says. "But—I appreciate it." She wipes her eyes with the back of her hand. "Thank you."

"Of course," Shouta replies. He stands back up and turns to see Tsukauchi still sitting in his chair, eyes wide and staring at nothing. "Detective?"

Tsukauchi startles. "Oh. Yes. We'll be compiling statements for a while. I'll let you know what sorts of leads we have."

"Go home and sleep, first," Shouta says. "We need you at your sharpest."

Tsukauchi dips his head. "Yes. Of course." He stands. "Thank you for your hospitality. I'll be in contact." And with that, he leaves.

"I think he's going to need a pretty big drink when this is all over," Hizashi says, and then pats Inko's shoulder. "Alright. It's late. We all need to get to sleep. I'm sure Nedzu will need Shouta and I early tomorrow."

Inko nods and stands. "Thank you for having me," she says. "I'll—oh, _Hisashi_. I need to, to let him know about, about _Izuku_…"

"Speaking of, what even is your relationship?" Hizashi asks, standing alongside her and bundling Monster into his arms.

"He was my best friend growing up," Inko replies. "We were… very similar and went in _very different_ directions. He didn't hesitate to help us out. Izuku… he calls him my husband-friend."

Hizashi nods. "Makes sense. Would you like some privacy for that? I'll show you where the guest room is."

"Please," Inko replies. "Thank you so much."

"Of course! Anything for my fake sister-in-law," Hizashi grins and picks up Inko's bags before ushering her down the hall. Shouta watches them go and they seem to take his emotions with them. In a haze, he gets ready for bed. Fuck. What a fucking day it's been. Just this morning he was watching Midoriya _frying a goddamn egg_ on Todoroki's skin, and now his student is missing, half his class is hurt, and, oh, his student is the biological son of one of the most terrifying villains in _history_.

What a great fucking week. Why did he think running the training camp with only six pros on-site was a good idea?

Before he even quite realizes it, he's curled up in his and Hizashi's bed, alone—for now. Because he can hear Hizashi moving around in the bathroom, the running of the water as he's brushing his teeth, and then the door's opening and sending a shaft of light falling across Shouta's eyes for just a moment as Hizashi enters, and then the door's closed again.

"How are you doing, Shou?" Hizashi asks as he slides into bed. Shouta just rolls over and grabs Hizashi's pajama shirt, grasping it tight in his hands and saying nothing. The clenching of his hands matches the clenching in his heart and Hizashi's arms come around him, pulling him close, eliminating the space between them until they're pressed together, Hizashi's shirt and Shouta's hands the only things between them.

Hizashi says nothing more, just holds him as he starts to shake, holds him as he falls apart in his husband's arms.

The heat around his wrist flares and Izuku cries out, his strangled vocal cords producing a volume he wasn't sure they still could reach. There's—there's sizzling, and that, that's his _arm_—

"_Dabi_," someone snaps.

The voice sends chills up Izuku's spine.

_Shigaraki._

"Master wants that one _alive_."

"Alive doesn't mean unharmed, does it?" the villain holding him—_Dabi_—drawls. "I'm sure he won't mind it if his prize arrives a little… lightly roasted. I _did_ have to trade my prize in to secure this one, after all."

"He will most certainly mind if his prize arrives… _lightly roasted_, as you say." That smooth voice is new, not one Izuku recognizes, and he lifts his head, glancing towards where it came from. Dabi is still holding him, one hand still wrapped around his neck in a _mockery_ of the man in front of them, and the other one, still too warm, is slotted perfectly in place on the burn he just put there.

The new voice belongs to a man made of black mist. The black mist man is wearing a suit. That must be Kurogiri—Izuku's heard about him, about his role in the attack on the USJ.

"I dunno," oh god _Toga_, "I think maybe your Master would appreciate a little extra blood! I know that I do." She croons the last bit of her sentence, leaning in _way too close_. Dabi seems to agree, the villain dragging Izuku backwards.

"_Toga_," Dabi snaps. Toga just smiles at him.

"As much as I want to," Shigaraki speaks, pulling all their attention back to him. He's wearing… a hand. Over his face. Okay. Izuku's heard about this from Shiozaki and Tsuyu, but still. Okay. That's. That sure is a thing. "I know Master would prefer him in one piece."

"One piece doesn't mean unharmed," Dabi repeats his earlier reasoning.

"Oh, if we're doing _torture_," that's the grey-skinned woman who had attacked Pixie-Bob, Tiger, and Mandalay, pounding a fist into the palm of her hand, "then I want to take a crack."

"You'll get yours," Shigaraki spits. "Just be patient, Rarewater."

"Ah, Shigaraki, you know how I get." The grey-skinned woman grins, showing off sharp teeth reminiscent of Kirishima and Wakana's.

"_No_," Shigaraki hisses, and everyone in the bar freezes as static crackles from somewhere behind them.

"My student is right," a voice says, tinny over bad-quality speakers, and despite that, it's enough to freeze Izuku in place. He's starting to shake, and he feels Dabi's hand tighten around his neck. "I would prefer for Izuku to arrive without… extra harm. Kurogiri, if you would?"

"Of course," Kurogiri bows his head for a moment and holds up a hand, black mist flowing out from it to surround Izuku. It's—cold. He didn't realize the first time, but the portal, it's cold, it feels like he's being swallowed by a fogbank.

And then he's released, alone, the sudden lack of Dabi sending him off-balance and crashing to the floor. He barely catches himself with his left hand, the impact still jarring his broken arm. A whine builds in his throat and he bites it back with a vengeance as he clambers back to his feet.

He _cannot_ show weakness.

Because, for the first time since he was two, he's in the presence of his father.

"Hello, Izuku," the man says, his voice… wrong. Like it's somehow… hollow, or echoing in a helmet.

That's because it is, he realizes, looking up to see a tall man in a suit, a dark blue helmet covering his head.

"I've been waiting so long to see you again. I see the Vanguard Action Squad was a little overzealous. I should have been more specific in my instructions, and for that, I apologize."

Izuku glares up at him. His throat burns, his arms hurt, his legs are shaking, and he's probably about to collapse any minute now.

That doesn't mean he's going to give this man any shade of _compliance_.

"Oh, come now." The man tuts. "Here. As a… peace offering, I will heal your injuries."

The man steps forward, and Izuku takes a step back.

"_Don't touch me_," he growls.

The man freezes, for just a moment.

"Oh, _Izuku_," he says, buckets and buckets of false sympathy tainting his voice sweeter than sugar. "I knew your brother did—"

"He's not my brother," Izuku snaps, taking another step back and bringing his left hand up, guarding his chest.

"There's no need for that." He—he sounds _gentle_, like a father chastising his young son.

Which, Izuku supposes, he must see himself as.

"Tomura is your brother, even if not by blood," the man continues. "You may have had some… _disagreements_… but I'm sure you'll come to get along with time."

Izuku shakes his head rather than reply verbally, taking another step back…

…. Right into a glass tank. He whirls around, eyes going wide as he catches sight of what's _in_ said tank: a pale-skinned beast, easily twice as tall as him, with the folds of its brain exposed. He can't suppress the shudder.

"Ah, yes, my Noumu. I don't think you've had the pleasure of meeting any personally, yet. They're my greatest creations… Aside from you, of course."

"I'm _not_ your creation," Izuku whips back around and finds himself stumbling back into the Noumu tank again because he's _right there_. Cold glass under his fingers, an unyielding curved surface at his back, and at his front…

"We'll speak more when you regain consciousness," his father says, a large, gentle hand cupping Izuku's cheek even as Izuku's breathing speeds up. The quirk he activates is a buzzing, growing, growing—

His eyes roll back in his head and his vision goes dark.

**"17 scared and angry teenagers" is a nod to Come From Away, specifically the line about how many scared and angry people they have to take care of.**

**i may be slowing down updates. a lot of life stuff is happening at once- i'm training for a job (in sales, sold my soul to the sales industry, go me), i'm moving... it's just a lot lmao. if there's nothing up on the 22nd, then i'll be shooting for the 26th or earlier for an update, but don't be surprised if it ends up being something like two weeks before i post again.**


	28. you're real Father of the Year material

He wakes chained to a chair.

He _aches_. All over, the deep pain of sore muscles, of yesterday's exhaustion. His head _pounds_ and, oh, he still hasn't released his quirk's hold on Muscular yet.

Hopefully the villain's already detained and in holding, he thinks, before snapping the fingers of his left hand.

His left hand, which is attached to his left _wrist_, which just recently got lightly toasted. It doesn't hurt as much as he thinks it should.

Which brings him to his right arm, which is certainly not as painful as it _should_ be.

"Ah. You're awake."

Oh, _goody_.

"Unfortunately, I'm no doctor, so I have no idea how well I set your arm before—"

"You're _two hundred years old_," Izuku snaps and, oh, okay, his voice is back. "I'm sure you could've picked up a doctorate or two at some point."

"I'm not a _medical doctor_," his father stresses, sounding… amused. "I did what I could for your voice." Now, the voice turns sober. "But I'm afraid some things can never fully be healed."

Izuku resists the urge to sigh. His heart is pounding, he's shaking, and he is not going to give in to his father.

"So why am I chained to a chair?" he looks up, taking in the room he's—oh. Okay. He's still in the Noumu lab, and, over there, is a man who is _definitely_ not his father puttering around a workstation.

"It's… a necessary precaution, for now," his father sighs. There's footsteps as the man moves closer and, oh, wow, that is a hand on his shoulder! "One I hope I'll be able to do away with soon."

"Don't bet on it," Izuku mutters. The spots where his right arm had been broken _ache_. Was his father telling the truth about it or had he deliberately not healed it right?

That thought leads him to his throat, to his voice. It's still rough, but stronger, now, like it's had months of healing. It doesn't hurt as much as it had been, either. In fact, his neck barely hurts at all.

"You know, there's a _reason _they weren't trying to immediately heal my voice," he says, taking stock of the way it feels now, the way it vibrates in his chest. And it's—it's _rough._

"That may be," his father murmurs, and then steps back, finally, _finally_ lifting his hand. "Now, I'm curious, about many things. Your mother hid you _so well_ from me. It's quite impressive. Changing your names, your appearances, having you hide your quirk… I checked past registries. Prior to U.A., the official description of Negation was so _vague_. I don't doubt that you could've kept hiding. So, perhaps I'm curious: why expose yourself like you did at the Sports Festival?"

"I don't have to explain myself to you." Izuku twists his head, catching sight of his father out of the corner of his eye, drumming up his worst glare, channeling his inner Bakugou.

"Oh, you're a mouthy one. Did Yuho never teach you manners?"

"Maybe I, maybe I just don't feel like being polite to you." Yuho… that name is _familiar_, in too many ways. Maybe—no. No, he can't start thinking about this _now_, he needs to keep himself together, he can't start doubting his _mother_.

His father sighs. "That's unfortunate. I'm sure you'll change your mind soon." The man's footsteps are soft, even, measured as he walks towards Izuku, who can't help the way his body tenses as the man approaches. There's a pause, Izuku all but holding his breath, and then a hand comes down and _ruffles his fucking hair_.

"Stop _touching_ me!" It comes out less 'I'm going to bite your hand off' and more 'I'm going to hide in the first small space I come across'.

"Oh, Izuku." There it is, that soft, sad, disappointed tone again. There's no continuation—the man just walks away, over to a computer by the wall of the room. The man presses a button and leans down to a microphone. "Kurogiri. Ragdoll, if you would?"

Ragdoll?

Oh. Oh _no_.

He can't look away, breath coming shallow, as the dark portal appears and Ragdoll stumbles out. Her hands are bound behind her back and she's blood loss-pale and wrapped in bandages, wearing a pair of sweats and a shirt that hangs off one shoulder.

The first thing she notices is him. Her eyes go wide, and she inhales quickly.

"Oh, _kitten_," she gasps, blinks quickly, and takes a few steps towards him.

"_Ragdoll_," he gasps, shaking his head.

"Hello, Ragdoll. It's an _honor_ to meet you," his father says, and Ragdoll's attention snaps to him, yellow eyes narrowing and teeth bared in a silent snarl: the image of a hissing and spitting cat. "I see you're already familiar with my son."

_That_ catches her off-guard, her eyes widening again as she glances between the two of them, back and forth, and Izuku can't look at her anymore, _something_ coiling and sitting heavy in his gut.

"Funny. I see no family resemblance," Ragdoll says, and Izuku glances up, just long enough to see her smile at him.

_No_.

No.

She should be, she should be trying to… trying to _escape_, to leave, anything, anything to get her out of his father's clutches, not… not wasting her time on _him_.

"Maybe if you had seen me before I was disfigured, you'd be able to tell. He looks a lot like I did when I was his age… Of course, the resemblance would be a little stronger if he would stop dying his hair."

There's a moment of quiet (not quiet this room isn't quiet there's the whir of machines the sound of bubbles from the tanks and the _screams_ he can't understand what they're saying but they sound like _children_-)

"Why did you have your henchmen take me?" Ragdoll's voice is full of steel in a way Izuku hasn't heard from her before.

"Oh, that's the golden question." Izuku looks up to see his father clasp his hands together behind his back. "In short? Your quirk. It's _fascinating_. Search. The ability to keep track of, and know the weaknesses of, up to one hundred people? So… _powerful_."

"You're a quirk trafficker?" Ragdoll frowns. "You know I'm a thirty-one-year-old pro hero. Not many will be interested in… _purchasing_ me."

"Oh. Oh, no, Ragdoll." His father laughs. "I'm no petty _trafficker_." Disdain drips off his voice. "No. I want your quirk for myself. It'll make a nice addition to my arsenal."

"_What_?" She takes a step back, seeming to lose even more color from her face.

His father steps forward.

"Oh, yes," he says, a crackle of red and black lightning crossing his body. He holds a hand out, and Ragdoll—

Ragdoll freezes in place.

"Wh-what—" she stammers. "What is this?"

"This is only one of the many, _many_ quirks I've collected over the years I've walked this earth," the man says. Izuku can't see his mouth, but he can hear the sick little smile. "It's called Hold. A little deceptively simple, but it gets the point across." He walks forward, his steps echoing through the warehouse. "I'm sorry it has to be this way, I truly am, but Search is just too powerful a quirk to _not_ collect. I thank you for your sacrifice."

His hand comes down on Ragdoll's head, covering her eyes. Izuku can't tear his gaze away, watching as that same red and black lightning covers Ragdoll, gathering intensity until it's absorbed into the man's skin, rivers of glowing red threading their way into his skin and disappearing under his sleeves.

The only noise Ragdoll makes is a pained whine, gaining in intensity until his father lifts his hand and she collapses to the ground, the noise cutting off.

"Doctor." That draws the attention of the other man in the room. "Please see to her."

The doctor says nothing as he retrieves Ragdoll and takes her to another part of the warehouse. Izuku's father, for his part, just stands in his spot, hands curling into fists.

"Now this… This is a powerful quirk," he says. He turns towards Izuku and walks forward. "Not powerful in the traditional sense, no, but oh, Izuku, I'm sure you understand the value of the nontraditional. You've trained with Eraserhead and Longnight, no?"

"You've done your research," Izuku mutters. Can the man even tell how he's glaring at him?

"Of course I have!" The man sounds affronted. "You're my son! To do any less would be neglecting my duties as your father."

"Oh, yeah, you're real Father of the Year material." He puts a drawl in his voice the same as he's heard from Shinsou many times. "Kidnapping me, using a quirk on me without my consent, chaining me to a chair…" Izuku shrugs. "You're a shoo-in for the position."

"Would I have a chance to talk to you any other way?" the man asks, and, okay, he has a point there, but still. There's a _reason_ his mother left and a _reason_ she kept him away from this man. "Your silence tells me enough. I'm going to be making up for lost time, though. Tell me, Izuku, why do you want to be a hero?"

"What." Okay. That's. Not what he's expecting.

"Why do you want to be a hero?" The man repeats, sounding patient as can be.

"Why should I tell you?"

The man sighs. "I suppose you have no reason to trust me."

"I think the kidnapping bit has something to do with that!"

"I deserve that," the man says, stepping closer, closer, until he can rest a hand on Izuku's head. Izuku stills, remembering the red and black lightning, the _keening_ noise Ragdoll made, the way she collapsed. "But Izuku, you must believe me: hurting you is the _last _thing I want to do."

"But it's still on the list." The response comes, unbidden, from the depths of Izuku's mind where once upon a time he saw a shirt for sale with that on it, printed in English. Now that it's come to mind, that would make a _great_ present for Shinsou.

"What?" The man recoils, and his hand leaves Izuku's head and Izuku can breathe again. "No!"

"You're already hurting me," Izuku points out. He breathes in and summons his inner Aizawa. "You kidnapped me, and I am currently chained to a chair against my will. There's no way to spin this that _isn't_ hurting me."

The man inhales. "…You are correct. Unfortunately, some level of precaution must be taken, for now. I'm sure you'll understand. Now: why do you want to become a hero?"

"To save people from villains like _you_," Izuku spits.

His father…

His father _laughs._

"I suppose that's what I must look like, in your eyes. Knowing Yuho, she's passed her compassion on to you. Eraserhead, in the correct underground circles, is well-known for his drive to protect the victims of society, and Longnight was all but _revered_ for their work dismantling quirk trafficking rings. What if I told you that you will _never_ be able to save the people you truly want to save as a pro hero?"

"I'd call you a liar," Izuku responds.

"And if I can prove it to you? That, as a pro hero, you'll never be able to truly help people?"

"Then I'd do it anyways."

His father laughs. He sounds… fond, walking forwards, standing over Izuku. "The Hero Public Safety Commission will _always_ be in your way. They can't have heroes like _you_ out there, running around unchecked, or they'll lose their power, their grip on society."

"What?" He tries to lean back, tries to get the main out of his space, fails.

"Haven't your mentors, your _mother_, told you yet? The Commission has skeletons in their closet, and you'll be one of them if you continue as you are."

"What do you mean." His chest feels—hollow. This. This… Japan isn't _America_.

_That doesn't mean we can't have corrupt institutions, too_, his inner Yonaga whispers. A little voice that sounds like Aizawa chimes in, _America doesn't have the monopoly on political corruption._

"Have you heard of Pop 'n' Rock?" the man asks, stepping away, walking over to his computer setup. The lightning crackles and a… USB cord? pops out of his arm. He plugs it into the computer.

"Of course," Izuku replies.

"A rising pro hero," his father says, "with quite the destructive quirk. She could… level buildings, if she so felt like it. And she has."

Izuku blinks, watches as the man pulls up news stories on Pop 'n' Rock. There's… so much collateral damage.

Every time it's not caught on camera, the news stories claim the damage was caused by villains. Every time it is, the damage is brushed off, downplayed, even when it costs _lives_.

He's thought about it before, of course. It's hard to ignore in such a popular young hero, and he listens as his father echoes his thoughts out loud.

"Do you think she could hide such damage on her own, hm? How about something a little more incriminating? Do you remember the pro hero Mystic?"

Mystic. Number Three in Japan before her untimely death. Her body was found washed up on a beach in Miura two weeks after her disappearance.

No one had ever been prosecuted for her death.

"What are you saying?" He doesn't need to ask. He knows what his father's trying to say.

"The Commission had her killed," his father replies. "She was getting too close to one of their skeletons. Unfortunately, I was unable to find out _what_ she had discovered, but it was dangerous enough for them to kill the beloved Number Three for it." The man chuckles.

"You have no proof."

"Oh, but I do," his father says. A window appears on the monitor: grainy security footage, but it has color, and that's enough to recognize Mystic in her street clothes as she runs into an alley. Moments later, two figures in hoods follow her. Then there's footage from the other end of the alley, sharing the same timestamp. A car drives up, backs up to the alley, and then drives off.

"Video can be faked," he says, but his heart's not in it.

"Maybe so." His father's voice is… pleasant. "Mystic is only part of the puzzle, of course. There's so many more. Have you ever wondered about Endeavor?"

All the time.

"What about him?"

"Oh, I want to hear from you, now," his father says, turning back towards him. With his… USB cord still plugged into the computer, there's no way he can walk all the way over to Izuku.

He sighs, letting his head drop. "Endeavor uses his fire exclusively, even around civilians and in heavily-populated areas. He's careless about collateral damage, including permanent and disabling disfigurement of criminals, and, occasionally, civilians who get too close. He's a walking ethical disaster and the only reason the use of his fire doesn't violate Protocol III of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons is because pro heroes aren't considered military." He sighs again. "Let me guess: Commission intervention?"

"Yes!" His father sounds delighted. "Exactly! Now, tell me, do you honestly want to be part of the system that lets a man like that thrive in it?"

Izuku grits his teeth. "It can be changed."

His father chuckles. "Yes, it can. I believe that, too. I can help you do that, you know."

"I don't want your kind of _help_."

"Hm." The man sighs, disconnecting from the computer. "You say that now." A flash of red light and the cord disappears, leaving the man free to walk over to Izuku. "I interrupted a training camp for your quirks, didn't I? How about I help you train your quirk, to make up for that?" Izuku looks up, at that mask, and feels a fresh fear grip his heart.

"Again: I don't want your help," he spits, thankful his voice barely shakes, and even that's covered up by the ever-present rasp.

"Oh, I'm not offering," the man says. "I'm _giving._"

The meeting room is cold. The AC is on full blast, chilling everyone in it.

It's not a large group; just Nedzu and his "inner circle" of teachers (meaning Shouta, Hizashi, Nemuri, Snipe, Thirteen, Kan, Ishiyama, Shuuzenji, Maijima, and the newest addition of Yagi). Nedzu is sitting at the head of the table, as always.

(Kan, the truly newest addition, never involved in these kinds of meetings—except. Except his kids were involved in the attack, too.)

"Twenty-six." Every eye in the room turns to Nedzu. "Twenty-six injured students, and one taken."

Shouta grimaces and looks down, his hands curling into fists. To his right, he can feel Kan glaring holes into the wall behind Snipe, Thirteen, and Ken.

To his left, Hizashi reaches over and places a hand on his thigh.

"To be attacked, during a training camp meant to prepare students to face villains… we should be embarrassed by the irony." Nedzu sighs. "We feared a resurgence of villains, but our understanding of it was naïve. They had already started their war—their war to destroy hero society."

"Even if we had understood it, would we have been able to defend against it?" Nemuri asks. "With all these events, unfolding one after another… Since All Might, organized crime has been all but weeded out."

"So we got too complacent during that peace without even realizing it," Hizashi adds. "We thought we had time to prepare."

The room is quiet for a moment, and Snipe speaks next. "Having the Sports Festival right after the USJ… we can't keep taking unyielding positions like that. Having a student kidnapped is our greatest failure. Along with Midoriya, they've stolen the trust people had in us as heroes, as teachers."

"All the news outlets are filled with criticism of U.A. right now," Nedzu agrees, his expression as pleasant and unreadable as always. "And no one knows why they want Midoriya, so much so as to sacrifice an objective they already had in their grasp."

A fresh snake of anger curls up in Shouta's stomach, to hear one of his students described as an _objective_ so callously. It's far outshined by the anger burning in his chest, the need to go out and hunt down every last member of the League of Villains until _he gets his student back_.

"Depending on what they want with him, this could spell the end of U.A. as an educational institution."

Another solemn silence, and Shouta feels Hizashi look down at the table in front of them.

"Since we're on the topic of trust, there's something I'd like to say," his husband says. "Given everything that's happened, I think we can safely say… there's a traitor among us, isn't there?"

Various teachers gasp, and Hizashi continues on. Shouta watches him from the corner of his eye. "Only the teachers and the Pussycats knew where the training camp was to be held! And that's not all that's suspicious." His hand leaves Shouta's thigh as he stands and slaps his hands down on the table. "Using their cellphone information, even the students—"

"Mic, stop it." That's Thirteen.

"How can I?" Hizashi asks, and Shouta can hear the—the strain, tearing at his voice, the strain of _failure_. From the way Nemuri shifts, he knows she hears it too. "We need to clean this place up—"

"What about you?" Snipes drawl cuts in. "Can you prove that you're 100% clean? Can you assert that everyone here is clean?" Hizashi sits down, a dissatisfied noise that could be called a whine escaping as he crosses his arms. "If we suspect each other, then we'll destroy ourselves from the inside. Looking for a traitor isn't something we should do in a hurry."

"At the very least, I trust you all." Nedzu takes the reins of the situation, waving a paw at everyone in the room. "I can't prove that I'm completely clean, either. For now, what we must do as a school is guarantee the safety of our students. With the suspected leak, there's something I've been thinking of doing for a while now! That's—"

_A phone call is here! A phone call is here!_

Yagi stands. "Excuse me. I have to take this."

"We're in a meeting! Turn off your phone!" Hizashi snaps as Yagi slinks out of the room, not unlike Shouta and Hizashi's cat slinks off when she's been seen doing something embarrassing.

Shouta sighs. "Principal. What were you about to say?"

"I was about to say, that maybe it's time we build those dorms we've been considering!" Nedzu raises his hands, the closest approximation to a gleeful grin on his face.

"_Dorms?_" Shouta growls, already feeling the stress of watching his nineteen idiots 24/7 settling around his shoulders.

"We have two locations," Tsukauchi says.

Shouta is at the back of the room, leaning against the wall while Kan stands, arms crossed, next to him. Yagi is standing with them as well, 'standing in' for All Might. Endeavor, Best Jeanist, and Edgeshot are also in the room, sitting at the table. Nedzu is there too, standing on the table near Tsukauchi.

Tsukauchi, who is pointing at two pins on a map of Kamino Ward in Yokohama.

"The first location was provided by Yaoyorozu Momo, a member of U.A.'s Class 1-A who had the forethought to attach a tracking device to the Noumu involved in the attack on U.A.'s first-year training camp. She provided us a receiver for the device earlier today when we took her statement. The second location was deduced through witness statements and descriptions of the villains involved in the attack on the training camp. We are still working on confirming this location."

"That's why we can't move tonight, for anyone curious!" Nedzu chirps. "We're also still working on coordinating with all the pros we're planning on including!"

"You have four of the Top Five," Endeavor growls. "How many more do you need?"

"You four would be enough, if we were dealing with a normal villain! However, this is not just an organized group of villains, but they're overseen by the most dangerous man any of you have faced." Nedzu's features rearrange into something Shouta recognizes as the man's version of a frown. "It was an evil we thought dead until recently."

"He's called All For One," Tsukauchi says. Out of the other three heroes, only Edgeshot stiffens. Only Edgeshot is already familiar with the name. "Known for the ability to take and give quirks, he's been a major influencing power in Japan for a very long time."

"Then why have we never heard of him?" Best Jeanist, this time, leaning forward with his hands laced in front of his face and elbows resting on the table.

"Because he hasn't wanted you to," Edgeshot replies. There's a pause, presumably for a facial expression of some sort. "To reveal himself would be to forfeit much of his power."

"Then why have none of _you_ revealed him?" Endeavor asks.

"He's already revealed," Edgeshot counters. "In the history books. A major player from the dawn of quirks, he's been alive for two hundred years. Of course, even today, who would believe that? I certainly struggled to."

"You're telling me he's immortal?" Endeavor growls, and Shouta can see Tsukauchi press his lips together into a thin line.

"The man steals quirks," Nedzu is the one to reply. "It stands to reason he's found immortality or longevity or revitalization quirks of some form over the years!"

Endeavor grumbles, but settles, and Nedzu continues.

"We'll likely split the reporting heroes into two teams, one for one location and one for the other! I am currently considering Best Jeanist to lead one, and All Might to lead the other. Aizawa, Kan, you two are here because the three of us are the important third prong: the distraction!"

"Oh, no," Shouta grumbles, feeling more than seeing Kan shift next to him.

"Once we have confirmed the second location, we will call a press conference for the same time the raid is scheduled!"

"Please kill me now," Shouta mutters.

The child is six or seven, wearing a purple tank top and light jean shorts with butterflies embroidered on them. There's hair clips, brightly colored and shaped like various animals, hanging loose in messy black hair.

"She has an emitter-type quirk," his father says. Izuku just tries not to look at her, tries not to see the gag, see the way her eyes (so wide and dark and filled with fear) look at him like he might be able to save her. "You tend to use your quirk just by quickly touching the subject you want to use it on, so I wonder, what happens if you maintain contact?" He releases one of Izuku's arms, his left one, and leaves the rest of him chained to this chair.

With his arm free, Izuku can see the skin of his wrist, the freshly healed burn scar there. It's vaguely handprint-shaped, the same way the scars on his neck are vaguely fingerprint-shaped, and still a fresh, angry red.

"Activate your quirk on her, but maintain contact," his father orders. The girl is under the affect of Hold, still and scared and crying. His father is still behind him after unchaining his arm.

"No," Izuku says.

His father sighs. "Do as I say. Don't make me ask again, Izuku."

"I won't do it," Izuku replies. His hands start to shake, the tremors making their way up his arms.

The presence behind him shifts as his father steps away. "Doctor." He sounds so terribly disappointed. "Please bring Ragdoll back out."

It takes a couple minutes for the doctor to return, wheeling Ragdoll out on a gurney. She's still unconscious, an IV inserted in the crook of her elbow. His father steps away, towards Ragdoll, and then he's standing over her, a crackle of red and black lightning summoning a white blade from beneath his skin.

"It's such a waste to kill her," his father says. He seems to be looking down at Ragdoll, but Izuku can't see through the mask. "I've already taken her quirk. There's no need for me to harm her further, but, well." The motion is clinical, precise, as he brings the blade to rest against Ragdoll's throat. "If you won't comply… perhaps drastic measures will be taken."

Izuku swallows. Breathing… he's supposed to be breathing, right. Ragdoll's life depends on it.

"I really won't ask again. Please activate your quirk and maintain contact with the child."

His hand is shaking, tremors running through it like seismic waves. The child still held in place, silent, terrified, shaking as much as he is.

He wraps his hand around her bare shoulder, red lightning flickering as all five fingers make contact.

Just like his father asks, he holds it there.

**Mystic is my friend's OC. You can find her featured in the story ****_Rebel in the Gray_**** by Yamadadzawa on ao3.**


	29. my kitchen, my rules

**warnings: vomit/emeto, criminal acts of coercion (i'm sure you remember that AFO is literally holding Ragdoll's life over Izuku's head), panic attack, implied/referenced self harm (in the past: scars are seen and mentioned, and it's briefly noted that a POV character is feeling sh urges again)**

What is he supposed to be doing? What is this supposed to accomplish? Is his father hoping that Negation will turn out to be a copy of… of _his_ quirk?

The first time he breaks contact is after about five minutes. His entire body is shaking, he can feel tears slip down his cheeks, and Hold is the only reason the child in front of him hasn't curled up into a tiny ball of fear and pain.

The keening, the whining, the pained little noises are the worst part of it.

Using his quirk like this _hurts_ her.

"Why have you stopped?" his father asks. "Resume."

Izuku's eyes flicker over towards his father and the woman he holds under his blade.

He leans forward and resumes, red lightning blazing to life as he resumes his grip. The girl's skin is warm underneath his hand, too warm, almost fever-hot except maybe that's part of her quirk.

He holds her arm.

Seven minutes later, he lets go again.

"I'm sorry," he whispers as her whimpers fill his ears. "I'm _sorry_."

"Do you _want_ Ragdoll to die?" and Izuku's shaking his head, vision blurring with tears and with motion.

"No, no no no," he says. "No."

He can't look, not at the girl, not at his father and Ragdoll, not at anything, so he reaches blindly and finds the arm again. His stomach is churning, he can barely breathe, it's like there's a vice around his lungs and it's going to be there _forever_. It's just him, his hand, and that hot skin underneath.

Fifteen minutes.

It takes fifteen minutes for his red lightning to turn red and _black_. It feels like something **_ s_** underneath his hand, something that should be whole, that's always whole, except now it's gone, it's in tiny broken pieces.

The girl's skin cools. Not like she's dead, because she's not, she's still there, breathing and unconscious, but her skin is cooling to a normal temperature and Izuku's mouth is filling with spit.

He turns his head to the side and throws up. There's spots of heat, on his arm, his leg, where he hadn't entirely missed himself. A headache pounds behind his eyes, swiftly crystalizing into one hell of a quirk backlash, and now his mouth tastes awful, to boot.

"I should've expected some quirk backlash, I suppose." His father echoes his own thoughts. "We'll get you cleaned up in a minute, but first," his father's voice grows louder as he draws closer, "I'm curious what happened here. Take a look, Izuku."

His heart pounds. His heart hasn't _stopped_ pounding. Will his father kill Ragdoll if he doesn't look?

Izuku looks.

The girl is completely unconscious with his father crouched over her supine body. His hand is on her head.

"I can't feel a quirk in her," his father says. Izuku can hear the way the smile curls in his voice. "She's just as quirkless as Ragdoll over there. What about you, Izuku? Do you feel any additions?"

Does he?

"What—" his voice gives out, and he clears his throat. "What should it feel like?"

"Oh," his father stands. "It's just—an addition. Every quirk feels slightly different. Maybe it's a heat?"

"There's…" Izuku shakes his head. "There's nothing."

His father steps closer, within reach, but… Izuku feels like maybe he'll throw up again, and his head hurts, and then he can't move because _that hand's on his head again_.

"Interesting." His father hums. "You still only have one quirk."

He can't help the relieved exhale that escapes.

"Let's get you cleaned up and into clean clothes, and then we can discuss this."

He's not sure what he's expecting, but it's not having his chains undone.

"Please don't make any escape attempts," his father requests. "I'd prefer not to have to subdue you."

His father won't be able to do much subduing if Izuku gets there first. But well, maybe he'll wait, because he stumbles as he gets to his feet. His knees hurt, his whole _body_ aches and he's still shaking all over.

And then his father's there, a steady hand on his back. Izuku shudders and pushes the arm away. His father heaves a loud, disappointed sigh, but the hand doesn't return, and Izuku stumbles through the Noumu lab after the man.

His father leads him to a residential area, of sorts, a set of rooms with a bathroom and a _shower_. It's a nice shower, in a nice bathroom, way fancier than he expects to exist in this sort of warehouse, with light blue tile floors and shiny silver tap handles on everything. The shower curtain has a tree on it and the bath towels are lavender.

"Clean towels and washcloths are in the second drawer down on the right-hand side of the sink. Feel free to use whatever toiletries you wish. I will find some clean clothes for you."

With that, his father all but shoves him into the bathroom and closes and locks the door behind him. Izuku can just stand there for a few moments, blinking, as his mind fights to catch up. What the fuck is even _happening_? He's just… being turned loose in this bathroom to do whatever the hell he wants? What if he wants to make a bomb out of the cleaning materials under the sink?

…He checks under the sink. There's nothing he can make a bomb with, but there is a can of scouring powder and a sponge.

Okay, so, no blowing his way out with improvised explosive devices. Guess he's just… taking a shower. Except the lights are stabbing his head and the shower's going to be noisy anyways.

He spends a couple moments playing with the light switches until the lights are at a low, manageable level, and _then_ he pulls a clean towel and washcloth out of the second drawer down on the right-hand side of the sink.

He drapes the towel over the shower curtain bar, along with the washcloth. He turns the water on, undresses, waits for it to get hot.

He steps in.

The water is hot, throwing up steam already. It sears his shoulders and runs in rivulets down his chest.

The water isn't the only thing making his face wet. Those are tears, too, salty and warm but nothing compared to the heat of the shower water, the heat of the little girl's quirk, whatever it was.

His scalp stings, and uncurls his fingers, one at a time, until he's no longer pulling his hair.

The water is still hot.

He's still trapped.

There's a handful of thin, straight scars on his upper thigh, and it's been so long since the desire to add to them has been _this_ intense.

That's what the hot water's for, he supposes.

It helps.

Everything softens into a haze as he picks up the shampoo… and then sets it down. He doesn't need that.

He settles for the body wash, something vanilla and sweet and creamy, and it makes him think of home. It's… such a familiar scent, one of his mother's favorites. Was it one of her favorites when she was with his father? Is that why it's here, in this place? The bottle is brand new, he can tell, just like the shampoo and conditioner—also favorites of his mother's.

His mother.

Fuck, his _mother_. She must—she must be _so worried_. This is it, the nightmare, the worst situation. Has she been informed, yet, that he's been taken?

(What is he thinking, of course she already knows. If nothing else, _Aizawa_ would tell her.)

Aizawa.

Shit.

He'd broken his promise. He'd broken his promise to head back to the lodge, to stay safe, and now here he is. _What_ had he been thinking?

There's a new keening noise, and, oh, that's him. His throat's creating that. That's his strangled voice, and his scalp is stinging again, and his legs finally fail him, dumping him on the floor of the shower.

He can't drag his hands back out of his hair now. He can't unbend his spine from this position, from how he's curling over his knees, and he can't stop the noise his throat is making, he can't hold back the sobs—

He breaks.

He shatters into tiny little pieces, sitting here, in this shower, this small piece of safety in the middle of danger. He's alone, for now. He's safe, for now.

His shoulders, red with the heat of the water, shake with the force of his sobs as he curls in around the hole in his chest where his innocence used to be.

(He didn't think he was innocent before, but it's not something you notice until it's _gone_ and you're left looking back at a before and an after and-)

And he's here, still, his feet flat against the porcelain surface while water drums against his shoulders.

Shouta is in and out of meetings with parents all day in between meetings with Nedzu, Kan, and the school's PR directors to figure out what they're going to say in the upcoming press conference. To the parents, they apologize for the lapse in security, in their judgment. They promise that security updates are coming, that the parents will be briefed on what they are and how they plan to improve as soon as they can.

He goes home with exhaustion dragging at his limbs, weighing his eyelids down, eating away at his insides. Hizashi isn't there, still on-air, but Inko is, and she's taken over their kitchen, the sounds of Put Your Hands Up Radio emanating softly from her phone.

"Hizashi said it was… fine, if I baked some," she said, as explanation. "I can't go to work, right now, and if I don't do anything, I will lose my mind."

"I get it," Shouta replies, shuffling to a stop next to her, his hands tucked in the pockets of his jumpsuit. She's moving as he stops, flitting from one part of the kitchen to the next, constantly in motion. There's her tablet, on the kitchen island, and one of Shouta's old law textbooks open on the table, a partially filled notebook next to it. "Studying law now, too?"

Inko sighs. "It's something I've… known, a bit, but I figure, with the… unique position I'm in, I should refamiliarize myself with it."

Unique position. Ah, yes, the unique position of having been privy to many of the most dangerous villain's secrets and yet coming forward with none of them. Fear, especially fear for family, can be a powerful motivator, but even that knowledge can't silence the small part of him that wants to blame her for the situation they're in right now.

"That's probably a good idea," he says instead of the one hundred and one other things he wants to say.

Inko sighs. "Do you think Nemuri, Tensei, and Emi would be willing to do dinner? Perhaps Detective Tsukauchi, as well, that man's probably working himself to the bone, he seems like the type…"

Shouta frowns. "I think they would," he says. His phone is already out and the message to Hizashi already in progress. "It's a little late, but I don't think any of them would mind."

"And you don't mind?" Inko asks, turning to look at him, and for a moment, he's struck by how _similar_ her eyes are to her son's. Shape, color, even the question they're asking now… he's reminded, so much, of the day he'd first met Midoriya, of a shy little twelve-year-old who looked up at him with big green eyes and asked him, _are you sure you don't mind training me_?

"Of course," Shouta replies. "It'll be good for all of us. I'll call the Detective and then I can help you cook."

"Oh, that's not—"

"My kitchen, my rules," Shouta overrules her, giving her one of his best dead-eyed stares. "I'm helping you cook dinner."

Inko sighs again, but it's accompanied by a soft, affectionate smile, and he considers that a victory.

He Does Not Think about where the clothes he's putting on come from. There's a pair of worn black jeans that are just a little bit too long and gather at his ankles and a plain grey T-shirt. He's given a plain navy-blue hoodie, too, because apparently his father isn't a fan of him being cold, even though he's choosing not to rectify the fact that he _took away Izuku's shoes_.

(He doesn't even have socks, it's just his bare toes against the world.)

He knocks on the door when he's dressed, his hair still damp and leeching heat out of his head so he's put the hood up to at least retain _some_ heat.

His father is _right there_, opening the door within moments.

"Come, Izuku," he says. "I have _so many ideas_ for your quirk."

That's not terrifying at all. He says nothing, just follows his father silently, head down.

"I'm wondering—does your quirk work against heteromorphic quirks?" Izuku shakes his head. "Izuku. I would appreciate an answer."

Oh, yes, that's correct, his father is fucking _blind_.

"No, it doesn't," he murmurs.

"Speak up," his father says.

"No, it doesn't work against heteromorphic quirks," Izuku snaps, glaring up through his bangs at that wide back in front of him.

"Hm. Well. I wonder if that's still true. It seems like your quirk has gone through an Awakening, of sorts, or perhaps it just did something it's always been able to do. I think it's worth it to try again, though…" The man slows down. That hand reaches out, to touch him again, to do _something_ again, and Izuku doesn't think.

He just reaches out.

Reflex.

Five fingers wrap around the man's hand, touching skin, and—

He can feel it.

There's a pulsing, living _mass_ underneath the man's skin. There's—

It feels like touching a star. It's like looking into the center of the universe. It's like Izuku's been asleep all his life…

And only now is he awake.

(He's unconscious before his body hits the floor.)

Emi is the first to arrive, letting herself in without knocking. She bounds in, dropping her purse on the table.

"Holy shit, Eraser, you would not _believe_ the shit my superiors are fucking saying, holy shit."

"Four expletives?" he raises an eyebrow, even though she can't see it as he's babysitting noodles. They're his strongest food cooking skill, and he's going to take this responsibility seriously. "It must be really bad."

"They're calling this the 'beginning of the end' for U.A., along with _all sorts_ of other, much more morally questionable and incredibly insensitive things that I will not repeat for respect of people in this room!" She probably smiles at Inko.

"Your discretion is appreciated," Inko replies.

"So, what's with the lawbooks out and about?" Emi asks. Her footsteps are loud and heavy as she walks over to him and leans around his side to look at what's on the stove. "You brushing up your lawyer skills?"

"Inko is," he replies.

"Oooh, Inko!" Emi turns, bounding back over to Inko. "You switching careers from trauma nurse to lawyer?"

"I just thought it would be useful to refamiliarize myself with certain aspects of the lawbook."

Shouta can feel the way Emi projects her skeptical expression. "These are all on villain and vigilante law."

"Yes. They'll be useful in my future, I think," Inko agrees.

Emi hums. "I feel like, as a pro, I should keep digging, but as your friend, I should probably let this lie for now!"

"As astute as always," Inko agrees. "How have your students been?"

That's the biggest distraction button Inko could've hit. Emi's _always_ ready to espouse the virtues of her classes.

Hizashi and Nemuri are the next to arrive, walking into the apartment in the middle of Emi telling Inko a story about one of her more uppity students getting their ass handed to him by a first year with a supposedly useless quirk. Hizashi swings by the kitchen for long enough to give Shouta a kiss hello, and then he's off to the shower to wash all the product out of his hair. Nemuri follows him into the kitchen, joining Inko and Emi and throwing in stories about her own classes.

Dinner is just being finished up when Tsukauchi and Tensei arrive, at the same time.

"I wasn't expecting to see Tsukauchi on the way up," Tensei says, wheeling into the dining room. He smiles as he continues, "is he being added to the big sistering?"

"Yes," Inko says. "He is."

Tsukauchi is slotted into the group, sitting between Tensei and Nemuri.

"Work topics are strictly off limits tonight!" Hizashi declares, not faltering even under the power of the _looks_ he's being given.

"You do realize who you're talking to, right?" Nemuri asks, glancing around the group. "Five pro heroes, a detective, and a trauma nurse? What do we have to talk about that _isn't_ work-related, especially after this fucking week?"

Shouta drags a hand down his face. She's not _wrong_. The other adults at the table are shifting, glancing around, before Hizashi raises a hand, pointing at the ceiling: lightbulb moment!

"Oh! Have you all listened to Chouko's new album?"

"You ask that like you haven't been playing it obsessively on your show," Nemuri replies, rolling her eyes.

"Well, _yes_, that means most of us have listened to it, therefore, most of us can _talk_ about it!" Hizashi gestures around the table, and, well, he's correct. The only one Shouta's not sure listens to Hizashi's show is Tsukauchi, but even he is nodding.

"Glam pop isn't my favorite genre, but I've enjoyed a few of her songs," Emi says, kicking off a conversation about musical artists and favorite genres. Most of them already know this information about each other—_especially_ the core four of Tensei, Shouta, Nemuri, and Hizashi—but it's still a light-hearted topic that all of them can talk about.

"—but what I _really_ like about Three Left Turns is that they don't shy away from talking about things that are normally considered taboo." Tsukauchi is in the middle of giving a lecture espousing the virtues of his favorite band. All of them are paying attention, yes, but Tensei is practically hanging off every word. "What popular band explicitly addresses topics such as quirk discrimination and the experience of having a fallen pro in the family so openly? And these are, these are _very personal_ topics to all three of them. I mean, their lineup is," Tsukauchi holds up a hand, counting off on fingers, "heteromorphic quirk, 'villain' quirk, and quirkless. They know what they're singing about."

"Oh!" Tensei perks up. "That must be where the name comes from, right? There's three of them and they're all… left turns, so to speak."

Tsukauchi nods. "That's exactly it."

"Personally—" Nemuri jumps back into the conversation, and Shouta turns to look at Inko. Her eyes are still red, and there's still lines of tension around her eyes and mouth, but, well, she's smiling just a little, and she's participating in the conversation, so Shouta will mark this down as a _win_ in his books.

The conversation keeps turning, Emi and Hizashi driving it forward from topic to topic—when asked what her favorite genre of music is, Emi answers "comedy", which leads to the group talking about their favorite comedians and favorite jokes. They keep going, until Tensei needs to leave because Chimiko's there to pick him up. There's a bitter twist to his smile as he says that, but it eases slightly as Nemuri turns to beg Tsukauchi for a ride home, the woman stalking towards the detective who holds his hands up in defense.

"Okay, okay!" he gives in easily, and Nemuri straightens, grinning.

"You're the best!" she says. She turns to Shouta, her grin shifting into a smile. "I'm going to hear from you first thing tomorrow morning, alright?" she says, and he nods. "Hug?" she asks, and he steps forward, letting her wrap her arms around him. She holds him for a couple breaths, and then squeezes before letting go and turning to Hizashi. There's no hesitation: the two of them crash into each other, and this time, Hizashi is the one picking Nemuri up with his skinny twink arms and squeezing her while she pretends to choke.

He sets her down, and she goes to hug Inko while Shouta turns to Tensei, who's looking at him with serious golden eyes.

"Hey," Tensei says. "I'll see you later, okay?" He reaches up to bump Shouta's arm with a fist. "Call me if you need to talk."

Shouta nods. "I'll see you."

Tensei leaves first, and then Tsukauchi and Nemuri, and finally Emi, leaving Hizashi, Shouta, and Inko alone in the apartment. Inko turns to them, a weary smile on her lips.

"Thank you," she says. "For tonight. I needed that."

"I think we all did," Hizashi replies. He steps forward, opening his arms, and Inko steps into them. Shouta watches for a moment before his husband is reaching out and pulling him into the hug. It lasts for maybe a minute before they're stepping apart, Inko swiping at her eyes with the back of her hand.

"I'm going to go call Hisashi," she says. "He's trying to get cleared to take some time off and come back to Japan for a bit, but, well. We'll see."

Shouta nods and watches as Inko turns and walks down the hall, her phone already held up to her ear. Hizashi's arms settle around his waist as his husband rests his head on Shouta's shoulder. Monster, who'd been hiding from the chaos, walks out from her hiding spot under the couch with a _mrrp_ and wraps herself around their legs.

They stand there like that, Hizashi burying his nose in Shouta's neck, Shouta relaxing into his hold. The apartment is quiet, now. He can hear the sound of Inko's voice, carrying through the walls as she talks to Hisashi. He can't make out her words, but she doesn't sound like she's crying, so that's good.

They stand there until Shouta sighs and pats one of Hizashi's hands.

"We should get some sleep," he murmurs. Hizashi nods, his moustache scratching at Shouta's neck.

**hey! not a textbook cliffhanger, at least!**


	30. i'd die, probably

**warnings: AFO is a slimy bastard, boundary violations, implied/referenced sexual content (very lightly implied, at the end of the chap)**

He wakes chained to a chair.

He _aches_. All over, the deep pain of _something_ he can't quite name, of exhaustion. His head _pounds_ and, oh, oh, _what was that_.

He had touched a star and the star won.

He can't help the groan that escapes as he shifts. His neck is still, his whole body is just one big ache and it feels like there's something stabbing his eyes out. Had his father handed him over to Toga at some point while he'd been unconscious?

…No.

A villain he may be, but that doesn't _fit_ with what he's seen so far. His father wants to… turn him, not kill him.

His awareness extends beyond the _pain_, towards the surface and away from the depths. There's something, dried and crusty, on his cheeks and his chin and his mouth tastes of metal and blood. Chains rest heavy around his ankles, keeping his bare feet pressed to the cold concrete floor, and…

There's also something on his _wrists_. More than just the chains, there's a pair of… metal bracelets? One on each wrist, and they're attached to—

They're attached to fabric. Sleek fabric, smooth and metallic and covering the pinky and ring fingers of each hand.

Oh.

Okay.

He finally pries his eyes open, and if he thought they were being stabbed out before, he was _wrong_. The lights are stabbing now, and his eyes flinch shut again.

"Ah. You're awake."

His father is still there, and Izuku grits his teeth in a pained snarl.

"I'm very disappointed in you." What did he even _expect_? "You could have killed yourself with that stunt."

Why does he _care_, Izuku wants to ask, but the words won't make it all the way to his mouth.

"I've healed you from that as much as I can. I hope you won't make the same mistake again, Izuku."

Oh, he won't. His father could rest assured—it would be a long time until he'd even _consider_ trying to use Negation against him.

There's the sound of shifting fabric, footsteps against concrete, and.

Something's humming, but it's not something he can hear.

He opens his eyes, and he looks at his father, and he sees that shift, that pulse, that writhing mass of quirks under his skin. They're humming, they're screaming and singing and crying and he's only just now noticed them.

He's finally awake.

"You seem distressed," his father says. "Your pulse is racing, your breathing is shallow."

He can't respond. There's just him and that—

That black hole.

He was wrong, his father isn't a star, not really, he's a black hole, and the quirks within him are the star he'd touched.

"Izuku."

There's a hand on his forehead, and he spasms.

"_Don't_." His voice cracks. "Don't, I, get, get _back_."

"Oh, _Izuku_," and that hand, big and cold and pulsing with the energy of hundreds of stolen quicks begins carding through his hair. "It's okay. I forgive you, of course. The gloves are just… _insurance_. Your brother had to wear them, too, before he learned control."

His brother?

Oh.

Right.

"He's still not my brother," Izuku hisses. That hand keeps going, keeps moving, that steady pace. His father hums.

"I'll give you a little bit to recollect yourself," the man says, that hand finally, _finally_ leaving his hair. "I'll return in ten minutes. Even with this… delay, we should continue your training."

Izuku's eyes track the man as he leaves, watching the trails of light he leaves behind in his wake, little bits of starstuff his quirk couldn't hold onto.

He blinks, twice, clearing the trails from his eyes, and now that the black hole, the star at the center of the universe is gone, he can truly see the rest of the Noumu lab.

He wishes he couldn't.

His whole body tenses as adrenaline floods his veins, a fight-or-flight response that can't do anything right now. There's…

There's so much _wrong._

The Noumu are exactly as they were, and physically exactly the same. It's him who's changed, looking upon them with eyes—

With eyes that can _see quirks_ now.

(Is it just his eyes, though? Because he closes them, and they're _still there_, he can still make out the Noumu, just barely…)

And the Noumu…

The Noumu are a terrible, horrible patchwork quilt. Stitched together by someone sewing denim to corduroy to silk to cotton, where his father was a black hole filled with stolen stars, these are broken stars slammed together by an outside force that shouldn't ever have touched them. They're filled with different colors, all clashing and swirling and striking against each other. The textures don't match, the pitches the frequencies the _harmonies_, none of them match.

And there, among the weirdness and the wrongness and the chaos, is one normal. human. being.

It's the doctor, short and bald and his quirk is like honey, shimmering gold across the skin. It's calm, lazy, unhurried. Its hum is… content. Mellow.

Such a contrast to everything else around him.

The ten minutes pass, Izuku's eyes flicking around, passing over everything until the man filled with stolen stars returns and Izuku's attention is drawn, inevitably, back to him. He's leading someone, someone small—

Another child.

This one is gender indeterminate, wearing a short-sleeved shirt and gym shorts that expose shaggy-furred goat legs. They have big brown eyes with horizontal pupils, grey hair, and two small nubs on their forehead where their horns are growing in.

"I hope you're ready to resume your training, Izuku," his father says, leading the child forward until they're both standing in front of Izuku. He forces his eyes to take in the child's quirk, away from his father, to just look at the low, steady pulse of grey light next to the hundreds of burning stars. He turns his ears from the discordant noise, the contrasting tones of his father's quirks to take in the low, strong hum of a stable interval coming from the little satyr child.

"You mentioned your quirk does not negate mutation quirks," his father says. "I wonder if it can remove them."

"Shatter," Izuku whispers. "It's shattering."

His father nods. "Shatter, then." He holds out a hand, red and black lightning dancing over his arm as he activates Hold.

Under his skin, it's different. There's a shifting, and then one quirk comes to the front. Hold is dark, a steady brown, and he can see a sheen of that brown cover the satyr child's grey.

"Now, Izuku, I am going to release one hand and remove the glove. You will not like the consequences of attempting to use your quirk against me a second time."

Ragdoll's no longer there, physically, but she doesn't need to be. He hasn't forgotten what happened last time.

The chains are removed from his left arm, and there's the sound of a key turning in a lock and the click of it unlocking and the cuff around his left wrist is released, opening up and allowing his father to pull it and the smooth metallic fabric it's attached to off.

Izuku flexes his fingers, making and unmaking a fist, reveling in the feeling of all five fingers being free for just a moment.

"Any time now, Izuku," his father says, and Izuku looks at the satyr child, who's looking up at him with big brown eyes, gagged just as the last girl was.

"I'm sorry," Izuku whispers, reaching forward to wrap his arm around the fur-covered upper arm of the child in front of him. The fur is short and course under his palm, and rather than drawing it out like he had with the little girl and her hairclips, he focuses.

He can see Negation working, the way Hold just goes _poof_ but the child is still motionless like it's active. And, well, Negation has never truly worked against heteromorphic quirks like this, but he can still see it happening, even though nothing of the child changes.

Eclipse was… an apt name to choose, he thinks, as he sees the grey of the child's quirk fade to nothing, only a corona-like ring of light remaining around the edges.

And so he grits his teeth and focuses. The child's keening is in harmony with their quirk, a third note added changing the interval to a chord and it's nothing Izuku can name but it _hurts_. It hurts a place in his chest, the empty point, the silence of his own quirk letting the pain of the other resonate in that spot.

He focuses, and watches, _feels_, the other quirk shatter under his skin and there's a ringing nothing where the quirk's sound used to be. There's a grinding, shifting, and it's nothing to do with quirks (and yet everything to do with them) as the child's physiology changes. There's a tug, under his skin, and Izuku doesn't know what it means but he maintains contact the whole time, bones shifting and changing and fur falling off in clumps until the child slumps, unconscious, and Izuku lets go, allowing them to lay in a pile of fur that once was theirs _until Izuku took it away_.

There's only echoes, wisps of grey remaining within the child's form. Will those fade, as well, with time, or will they always be there?

He almost doesn't want to know.

"Amazing," his father breathes. "That was less than three minutes, such an improvement from last time. I'm proud of you."

Izuku bares his teeth. His head is still pounding, and he can feel a twinge in his nose that's warning him of an upcoming nosebleed. At least he hasn't thrown up, this time.

"Hold still," his father says, and then he slides the glove back on Izuku's left hand, the cuff locking with a click. He rips his arm out of his father's hold with a snarl, pulling it close to his body.

His father sighs. "We will resume after lunch. The doctor will bring you food." His father's quirk shifts, a shimmering, dancing sky blue coming to the front with a crackle of red and black and that shimmering sky reaches out and lifts the now-quirkless child with a flourish of his father's hand.

Izuku watches them leave.

True to his father's word, the doctor brings him lunch. It's a sandwich and a glass of tepid water.

Izuku refuses to eat it until his father returns and threatens Ragdoll again.

"How do I know it's not drugged?" he asks, holding it in one hand and glaring up at his father.

"Why would I drug you?" his father asks.

Izuku wrinkles his nose and eats the sandwich and drinks the water. It's rather dry, but he eats it. He waits again, a whole half hour filled with nothing but him, his father, and the Noumus, until the doctor is instructed to bring another prisoner, this one an adult, out.

…How many people has his father even kidnapped for this?

"I want to see how your quirk interacts with a mature quirk," his father says, unlocking the left cuff and pulling the glove off again.

So Izuku reaches out and shatters another quirk.

That's what he spends the afternoon doing, shattering one quirk and then another until his nose bleeds and his head feels like it's splitting open and he can barely keep his eyes open.

"I think that's enough," he can hear, distantly, his father say. "For now. I'll give you a bit of a challenge tomorrow."

The glove-cuff goes back on. He can feel the chains loosening, unwinding, but he can barely move, slumping into his father's arms.

He doesn't- he doesn't _want _this, struggling to get his own legs underneath him, but he's weak, completely drained, and his father picks him up, one arm under his knees and one around his shoulders.

"Oh, Izuku," his father murmurs. "You've pushed yourself too hard today. You should have let me know you were reaching your limits earlier."

He wants to protest, wants to explain that he was _already_ at his limits and that the man holding him was holding someone's _life_ over his head.

But he can barely keep his eyes open.

He hears a door click open, feels himself get set on a bed and a blanket tucked over him, and then hears a door shut and a lock turn.

It's dark, and quiet, and now, as he feels the _writhing-pulsing-mass-of-starstuff_ that is his father walk away, there's a distinct lack of other people, other _quirks_ around him.

He can't manage to hold onto consciousness for much longer.

He wakes covered in sweat and tangled up in blankets that aren't his. There's dried blood on his face, on the pillowcase, on the blankets and even on the borrowed-gifted-stolen hoodie. His mouth tastes like iron and morning breath and his head is killing him… but what's new.

The door opens.

"Ah, you're awake now. Good."

"You have fucking Search, you already knew I was awake," Izuku mutters, dragging his forearm across his face in an attempt to maybe… who knows. Kill his headache? Feel less groggy? Whatever. He's awake now and he's not happy about it.

"You were asleep for thirteen hours," his father says, like Izuku hasn't even spoken.

"It's almost like quirk overuse knocked me out." He levers himself upright until he's sitting up. Maybe he should ask if he can wash his face, but.

But he doesn't.

His heartrate picks up at the thought, so he shoves it aside and stands, stretching his arms over his head and arching his back. His spine cracks like snapping twigs, and that metaphor just reminds him of the part where he _stabbed Muscular's eye out with a stick_.

He takes a deep breath. He can't afford to think about that, not right now, so he shoves it aside with the thought about washing his face and ten thousand other thoughts he can't have right now (who's Yuho are the heroes coming for him why is his father being like this what's going to happen to the people whose quirks he _shattered_ yesterday) and steps forward, towards his father, towards the door, towards another day of who-knows-what in the closest place to hell on earth.

His father leads him back out to the main area of the Noumu lab. "Have you ever known such a perfect invention?" he asks, laying a hand on the glass of the nearest tank. "I'm curious, Izuku. Can you sense quirks?"

"Can you?" Izuku fires back, crossing his arms.

"Yes, I can." Oh, a straight answer. "I used to be able to see them, when I had eyes. Now I can only feel them, so to speak, physical sensations, when I lay my hands on someone. For example, yours feels like nothing. Not the nothing of the quirkless, but the nothing of the void of space." Oh! Cool! They're both on the space metaphors! "So tell me, Izuku, can you sense quirks?"

"Yes." There's no need to tell him that it only happened after he tried to use his quirk on him.

"Oh? How do you experience it?"

Izuku presses his lips together. Should—should he? Dare he?

He dares.

"Why should I tell you?" He fights the urge to shrink back as his father whirls around, instead squaring his shoulders and jutting out his chin.

"Izuku." His father sounds… irritated. "I am growing tired of your insolence."

"Good. Be tired," he snaps.

His father doesn't _snap_. He doesn't lose his temper, he doesn't summon a fiery rage.

Instead, Izuku feels very, very small as his father steps forward.

"Izuku. I have been very patient with you thus far." Chaining him to a chair was _patient_!? "However, that ends now. I will not tolerate any more backchat from you. Do you understand?"

His heart pounds in his chest. He… he doesn't want to show any more obedience, but.

But what will he _do_?

"Izuku. Do you understand?"

"…Yes." He lets his shoulders hunch, his head drop. He understands.

"Yes, _what_?"

His stomach drops. Is… is he _really_ insisting on this? "Yes, _sir_," he spits.

"That's not what I'm looking for."

"Then what _are_ you looking for?" The question is out before he can keep it in.

"Izuku, I am your father. Don't you think it's time you address me as such?"

No.

"Yes, father." He lets himself slouch the rest of the way, looking up at the man through his eyelashes.

"That's better. Now, you can sense quirks. You can sense the Noumu, yes? Now, I wonder what would happen if you used your quirk on one of them." The man turns back to the tank like he's gazing at the thing inside with fondness.

"I'd die, probably," Izuku says. It's not backchat if it's an honest answer.

His father _tsks_. "Oh, I doubt it. If you could survive attempting to activate your quirk on me, then I'm sure a Noumu is nothing. After all, they only have four or five quirks at once." He pushes a button, and the liquid begins draining from the tank. Izuku watches, unable to tear his eyes away, as the creature sinks to the bottom of its cage. It's unmoving, eyes open and unblinking. Without the pale green liquid he can see that its skin is a sickly pink, like conjunctivitis or contact burns.

Another button, and the glass opens.

"Why don't you go try using your quirk on it?"

Minor problem with that: Izuku's still got the gloves locked onto both hands. He says as much, and his father sighs before grabbing his right arm. Izuku refuses the reflex to tear it away from him, and instead holds stock still, barely breathing, as his father unlocks the cuff and pulls the glove off.

"There. Now go try."

Izuku lets his hand fall back to his side and steps forward, barely breathing. The few shallow breaths he takes through his nose almost make him retch, the smell radiating off the thing stinking of… of _something_.

So, he just doesn't breathe, hesitantly reaching out with his right hand.

Maybe he should think about this?

He takes a step back, and then another, until he's far enough away he can breathe without the smell of the thing so strongly in his nostrils.

"Izuku," his father says, voice cold.

"Sorry. S-sorry." Izuku shakes his head. "Just… _smells_."

"Ah. I never considered that they smelled. I can't smell much, these days, between the mask and severe damage done to my nose. Take your time."

Izuku takes a deep breath and physically shakes himself, shaking off the words, the feelings, until it's just him and the thing in front of him, and the big question: does his father want a negate or a shatter? He just said activate, and, well, his quirk can do two things now!

…His father probably doesn't want him to undo all the hard work of _making_ the Noumu, so probably just a negate. Izuku takes a deep breath and this time holds it as he walks towards the tank and the still, still creature inside it. He raises his right arm and takes one more step.

His fingertips are centimeters away from the surface. He's hit pause, for a just a moment, nibbling at his lower lip before leaning forward the last couple of centimeters.

He _aims_, ignoring the wet, sticky skin beneath his fingers, feeling out the easiest quirk, something flickering and green that shoots along the surface of the being like cars going down highways. He feels it, pulsing under four fingertips, and then lowers his thumb.

Red lightning flashes, and the green is eclipsed. He lifts his hand and, physically, there's no change to the Noumu.

"Very good," his father murmurs, and Izuku stiffens as the man leans over his shoulder. "Can you negate more than one at a time?"

Izuku reaches forward again. The Noumu has five quirks: the green one, two red ones of varying shades, a white one, and a steady, solid blue, likely a mutation quirk. He thinks of the pinker red and makes all five points of contact.

His quirk activates.

"Good, good. What are you thinking, when you're using your quirk?"

His breath stutters in his chest.

"Uh, I'm just. Thinking of. Of a quirk. Concentrating on which one I want to negate," he replies.

"And? What if you concentrate on the mutation quirk?"

Izuku reaches forward again, concentrating on the blue. It's deep, and it rings like the satyr quirk, even though it's hidden underneath four other tones. He makes five-finger contact.

Negation activates.

Nothing changes.

"I think something's different," his father says. "Doctor. The boy with the tail, if you would?"

The boy with the tail? The boy with the _tail_? Izuku stops breathing, his heart skipping in his chest. Could he—

Could he _possibly_ have gotten his hands on Mashirao?

"Izuku? What's wrong?"

That voice, that voice is _soft_, gentle, and heat rises, from the bottom of his gut, rising up through his core, following his spine up, squeezing at his chest.

He _hates_ that voice.

Izuku doesn't answer, just wraps his arms around himself and glares, glares at the shiny pink skin in front of him, glares at everything and nothing in particular.

His father says nothing more, just lays a hand on Izuku's shoulder and Izuku wishes that he could rip it off.

Shouta wakes to an empty bed, the sound of chatter in the kitchen, and the smell of pancakes and coffee drifting through the apartment.

It was probably the coffee that woke him, if he's being honest with himself.

He drags himself out of bed and runs a hand through his hair. It's a tangled mess, so he'll have to run a comb through it at some point, but not now. He pulls his phone off its charger, drops it in the pocket of his sweats, and slumps out of their bedroom and into the kitchen, where Hizashi is cooking and Inko is nursing a large mug of coffee. It's one of Hizashi's, a white mug with a tie-dye pattern in the colors of the bi pride flag. There's another one of Hizashi's mugs out, the one Shouta had bought him for their first anniversary that has _LOUDEST HUSBAND EVER!_ printed on it in highlighter green on black. It's complete with black coffee in it.

There's a third mug out, the color-changing one of Shouta's that's plain black when it's cold but turns white with a pattern (in this case, cats, lots of cats) when hot liquid is put in it. It obviously has hot liquid in it, and he picks it up and takes a sip of it. Perfect.

"Morning, Shou!" Hizashi chirps. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah," Shouta replies, sitting down next to Inko. "Both of you?"

"I slept fine, thank you," Inko replies, while Hizashi says that he slept like the dead… at least until his alarm went off.

Shouta can sleep through anything except the smell of coffee and teenagers getting into shenanigans, so Hizashi's alarm (and Hizashi getting up) rarely wakes him. He has a special alarm, for those circumstances that require him to get up independent of his husband, but normally Hizashi _is_ his alarm.

Hizashi is just finishing the first batch of pancakes when Shouta's phone starts vibrating in his pocket. It vibrates more than once, so it's a phone call, not a text, and he pulls it out and answers as soon as he sees Nedzu's contact.

"What," he growls.

"_I just got the call from Tsukauchi that they just got confirmation on the location! I hope you're ready to speak to the press tonight!"_

"When?"

_"Please be ready at U.A.'s PR office at 19:30! The conference will start at 20:30 on the dot!"_

"Got it. Anything else?"

_"No! I'll see you tonight, Aizawa!"_

Shouta hangs up and sets his phone down on the table with a groan. "Hizashi," he says. "PR office. 19:30. Tonight."

"Do you want me to help you get ready?"

"Yes."

Inko looks up, eyes dancing between the two men. "I'll ask Nemuri and Emi if they want to have a little get-together at either of their places while you are, then."

Is—

Oh.

Oh, he gets what she's insinuating.

"Thanks! We appreciate that," Hizashi replies, grinning. Shouta's not normally the blushing type, but his face is heating up now, mostly because that's his sister (his fake sister, but shh) and. Well.

He does appreciate her.

**new update schedule? NEW UPDATE SCHEDULE?**

**i was looking at how many chapters i have pre-written like. i have 20 chapters beyond this one written (the last 9 of this fic, the first 11 of the second installment) and. so. i'm moving to every other day until i either a) run out of pre-written chapters or b) feel like changing again**

**so**

**yeah**


	31. what's a little press conference, huh?

**warnings: kidnapping, boundaries are very much crossed, blood and injury, torture and injury/harm to a child, more blood and injury, choking, just a real not-good time overall**

The boy with the tail isn't Mashirao, and Izuku breathes again. He's… probably a middle schooler, maybe twelve or thirteen, wearing a T-shirt and jeans and a pair of freshly-scuffed white shoes. His tail is long and slender, fully filled in with black and grey fur: nothing like Mashirao's. In fact, it would've been _more_ accurate of his father to say "the boy with the cat quirk" instead.

Unless he can't _tell_ that it's specifically a cat quirk? Or he knows of Izuku's friendship with Mashirao and wants to… what, exactly? Psychologically torture him?

Well, he's already trying to do that, so Izuku files both answers down in the 'plausible' category of his mind and focuses on watching the boy.

"Perhaps if you try working with _intent_ you can negate heteromorphic quirks," his father suggests, and Izuku feels his lip curl into a sneer.

He smooths it back out before speaking. "I've _been_ working with intent," he says. "I don't know what you _mean_."

"Perhaps if you focus on negating a _specific part_ of the quirk," his father suggests. "Maybe an entire heteromorphic quirk is too much for Negation to handle, short of shattering."

"Maybe," Izuku mumbles, glancing down at the boy who's staring at him with wide eyes. The kid is _terrified_, looking up at Izuku like he's about to hurt him, torture him, kill him.

Which, he supposes, is not that far off the mark.

And then he realizes: the fear, the terror, it isn't just directed at his _father_.

No, it's directed at _him_.

…

He blinks.

Here he's standing, talking with this monster like… like they're not enemies. Like… like this man isn't a monster. Like he's a _mentor_.

This kid's _right_ to be afraid of him. He's _right_ to look up at him with those wide yellow eyes, pupils narrowed to tiny slits in his terror.

After all… What indication is there that Izuku's anything but an accomplice to all this?

…He is.

He _is_ an accomplice.

Not just an accomplice, a _perpetrator_. He's, he's done these things, used his quirk on these people, without consent, changing things about them permanently and irreversibly, he's done this.

He's done this.

"-uku? Izuku!"

That's him.

There's a hand on his face, large and cool and filled with _so much_, and Izuku knows who this is. It's _him_, his father, the monster in his closet, the monster in the world's closet, and Izuku—

He doesn't feel.

He's empty.

"Izuku? Can you tell me what's wrong? Is there—"

Something touches his neck. A thumb, a finger, a hand, _something_ brushes over that sensitive skin.

His head twists and his jaw clamps down on flesh and bone with as much force as he can muster. He can hear something crack and snap.

There's blood in his mouth and it's not his.

Someone cries out and the world comes into focus. Izuku is snarling, standing between his father and the boy with blood in his teeth, mixing with saliva and dripping down his chin. His father is a meter or two away, cradling his bleeding left hand.

They stand there. His father says nothing. Izuku says nothing. The boy behind him whimpers.

A crackle of red and black, a red quirk with a silver sheen is brough to the forefront, and his father's hand crackles as the metacarpals Izuku snapped are knit back together, as flesh is healed and skin is closed.

"I thought," the man's voice is sharp, dangerous like the points of a pitchfork, "we were _done_ with this."

"Define _this_," Izuku snaps.

A shift, he can see the dark brown of Hold shifting towards the front, and Izuku closes his right hand into a fist, making sure to brush his thumb over his fingers and complete the touch. Negation flickers to life across his body, and Hold is rendered useless.

"Oh, whatever will I do with you." His father _tsks_, again, and Izuku feels his fingers twitch. "You can't escape, you know that? Well." The man pauses, shrugs. "You _could_. You could try, but you'd have to leave behind everyone else. Ragdoll, this boy, everyone whose quirks you've shattered… You'd have to leave them to their fates to escape me, and while I don't like wasting life, I'd be more than willing to sacrifice them all for your punishment."

He pauses.

"Or. They may be quirkless now, but I'm sure they'd make _brilliant_ Noumu."

"_What_," Izuku whispers, his eyes widening. "What _are_ the Noumu?"

"Well… they used to be human."

There's ringing in his ears.

Or is that just his brain?

"Stand down, now, unless you wish to condemn them to their fates."

Izuku takes a deep breath, spits out more blood. He takes another breath, and lets his shoulders drop. A third breath, and he shifts out of his fighting stance, letting his head hang.

"That's better."

Izuku snaps the fingers of his right hand, and with a flicker of red, Negation sinks back into his skin, and his father takes a step forward.

"Better."

He stands there, head hanging, as his father walks forward. He stands there as hands come down on his shoulders.

"Now, Izuku, I hope you know that I can't just let this go unpunished. You broke my trust. Unfortunately, the chains are coming back. Hold up your right hand."

Izuku does as told, letting his father jam the glove-cuff back on and lock it, tighter than it had been before, the metal biting into his skin. The man turns him around and manhandles him back to the chair and the chains, and Izuku _lets_ him.

"Now. About your punishment—"

"I—" Izuku's head snaps up as he chokes off his sentence. "I-I thought this, I thought this _was_ the," he swallows, "the punishment?"

"Oh, no." His father shakes his head. "This is the consequence of breaking my trust. Your punishment… Come, child, stop cowering, I know exactly where you are."

Unsurprisingly, the child does not come forward. His father sighs, and with the dancing blue quirk and a flick of the hand, a table lifts up, revealing the boy, curled up as tight as he could.

"This is your punishment." A flash of red and black calls a flashing white quirk, humming with power and energy, to the surface. It mixes, dances with the blue quirk, the two quirks twisting around each other to a beat only Izuku could see and hear.

The white quirk flares, and a bolt of lightning flashes between his father and the boy and the boy is left convulsing on the floor.

"_No_," Izuku whispers, jerking forward, the chains pressing into his ribcage, one link into his sternum with a bite of pain which he ignores. "No, no no no, I-I, _no_…"

"He's still alive, if that's what you're worried about," his father says, and Izuku doesn't watch him walk over, can't tear his eyes off the form of the child now still on the floor. "After all, you still need him to practice your quirk on. Or had you forgotten?"

He shakes his head as tears spill over, running down his cheeks and joining the blood already there. He lets his head drop, lets his eyes close and his shoulders shake.

Was this ever going to _end?_

Izuku doesn't get lunch. He hadn't gotten breakfast, and he certainly hadn't gotten dinner when he'd all but passed out in his father's arms the night before, so he hasn't eaten anything since he was captured except for the one sandwich he was offered yesterday, and his stomach is letting him know that. He's also only had that glass of water, too, so his pounding headache might partially be dehydration and not just quirk overuse.

As he sits there, for hours, while the two men work on… _something_ in the lab, he passes by hungry right back around to no longer hungry.

And then, finally, when the light's starting to fade from the windows and skylights, the doctor leaves and brings out the cat boy again. His father walks over and releases Izuku's left hand.

"Focus on his tail," his father orders. "No stunts." He turns the key in the lock and removes the glove-cuff.

The boy is gagged and bound and his eyes are still just as terrified as they had been. Izuku hesitates, glancing at those big yellow eyes, and his father nudges his shoulder.

"Now, Izuku," he says.

Izuku reaches forward, concentrating on the thought of—of the boy's tail. Black and silver and flicking, lashing, fur fluffed all the way up as Izuku puts his hand on the boy's bare arm and activates his quirk.

The tail stills, laying limp on the ground like a paralyzed limb.

His father walks around the chair and pulls the gag out of the boy's mouth.

"What does your tail feel like?" he asks.

"I-I can't," the boy pants. "I can't feel it, I'm sorry, please don't hurt me—"

"Izuku, release your quirk."

He does so, snap echoing around the warehouse, and that tail begins lashing again, even more frantic than before as the boy struggles to get away from the man towering over him.

"Excellent," his father purrs, turning away from the boy. "Left hand please, Izuku." Izuku holds up his left hand, and the glove goes back on it, cuff tightened just as much as the right one, and the chains go back around his left arm, too.

"You get to stay here, tonight," his father says. "Perhaps, if you are _very_ well behaved tomorrow, you can shower and sleep in the bedroom tomorrow night."

With that, his father leaves, the dancing blue quirk pulling the boy along behind him.

Shouta stands with Kan and Nedzu next to the door. Hizashi is there as well, and he's sure that Nemuri, Emi, and Inko will be watching the whole thing with the Iidas while waiting for a phone call.

"_You got this!_" Hizashi says in English, summoning a portion of his Present Mic personality before switching back to Japanese and placing his hands on Shouta's shoulders. "You'll be great. You faced down thirty villains for these kids! What's a little press conference, huh?"

Shouta glares at him, and that's all that's needed to get his point across.

"It's almost time." That's one of the PR assistants, sticking her head in the door.

"You can do this," Hizashi repeats, solemn, one hand coming up to cup Shouta's clean-shaven cheek. "I believe in you."

Shouta leans forward and presses their lips together, for just a moment, before Hizashi is backing up and Shouta is being called out to the conference with Nedzu and Kan.

The three of them leave the green room, and he wants to turn right back around and hide inside it. The press conference room is packed, reporters everywhere, and none of them friendly. The cameras are flashing and he wishes it were socially acceptable to wear sunglasses indoors at night.

They remain standing behind the table, and Nedzu nods at Shouta.

He takes a breath and begins.

"We apologize deeply," he says, "for the incident that allowed harm to come to twenty-six of our first-year Hero Course students because of our unpreparedness. We apologize for causing unease in society due to our negligence in properly defending ourselves as a place of learning. We are truly sorry."

The prepared statement comes to a close, and all three of them bow and take their seats.

"I'm from Yomiuri TV!" The first question comes. "Since the beginning of the year, U.A. High School students have had four encounters with villains, this one having the most injuries. How did you explain to their parents, and what are some specific countermeasures you are taking?"

"We will increase policing the surrounding area," Nedzu begins. "And review the security within the school, ensuring the students' safety with a strong position. That is what we told them."

"You spoke about the students' safety, Eraserhead. During the incident, it appears you urged them to fight. What was your intention behind this?"

Shouta leans forward to speak into the microphone. "I concluded that because we were unable to fully grasp the situation, it had to be done in order to avoid the worst possible outcome."

"What do you mean by 'worst possible outcome'? You don't call twenty-five injured and one abducted student the worst possible outcome?" the same reporter asks. Shouta holds in his first response, calling forward years of experience dealing with teenagers.

"The 'worst outcome' I assumed in that situation was that the students would be killed."

"The gas attack accounts for most of the victims," Nedzu adds. "We have determined that it was a sleeping gas caused by one of the enemies' quirks. Thanks to the quick response of Ms. Kendou and Mr. Tetsutetsu, there were no serious injuries from that attack. In addition, we are providing mental care to the students, but at the moment we do not see any signs of serious psychological trauma."

"Are you saying that it was a bright spot in this tragedy?"

"We believe that the worst outcome is one that would have infringed upon the future," Nedzu replies.

"Can you say the same thing for the kidnapped Midoriya? He won the Sports Festival and transferred from General Studies to Hero Course. Can you say he still has a future?"

That lance of pain is back, cutting through him before Nedzu replies.

"We are not just standing around idly. We are currently investigating along with the police. We will definitely get our student back!"

Please, let that be true.

Izuku's shoulders ache. His arms have been chained behind him for hours, now, his shoulders aren't the only thing protesting. All the lights except for the sickly green of the Noumu tanks are off, but he still can't sleep. How can he?

He shifts, trying to adjust the positioning of his arms, but it's no good. He can't stretch, he can't flex, he can barely move.

It's in the middle of stretching his neck (at least that's one thing he can still stretch) when the warehouse falls apart around him.

Literally. A giant crash slams through the warehouse and it's all Izuku can do to duck his head, to hunch his shoulders, to try to protect his head as the building falls apart around him.

It's over in seconds. Every single one of the Noumu tanks is breached and then shattered in quick order by Tiger and Gang Orca, their occupants restrained in seconds by Best Jeanist. Tiger and Mt. Lady, now small, vanish deeper into the warehouse, towards the prisoners, while Gang Orca and Best Jeanist approach Izuku.

Izuku, for his part, starts crying as Best Jeanist commands threads to pick the locks with deft flicks of his fingers, and he's stumbling into Gang Orca as soon as he's freed from the chains.

"It's alright," the hero says, "we've got you."

Legs cramping, he can barely stand and hardly walk as Gang Orca guides him with an arm around his back towards where Mt. Lady is now waiting. Belatedly, he realizes he's caught Gang Orca's suit in a death grip and he's probably not letting go any time soon. The cuff-gloves are still there, but he can hear Best Jeanist and Mt. Lady talking in the background—the locks on the cuffs are a little too complicated, a little beyond Best Jeanist's skill as a lock-picker to pick.

"Wasn't Midoriya supposed to be at the other location?" Mt. Lady asks.

"Supposedly," Jeanist replies, and that's when everything goes to shit. Footsteps echo out of the darkness, and Izuku freezes.

"Sorry, Tiger. She's always had a good quirk."

The heroes shift, turning to look in the direction of the voice.

Izuku does not move.

"It was the perfect opportunity, so I took it."

"Are you with the League?" Gang Orca asks, while Tiger asks for a light.

"After my body turned into this, I burnt through a lot of what I had stocked up."

Those footsteps. Coming forward. Always.

"Stop! Don't move!" Gang Orca demands, moving Izuku behind him, shielding him with his body.

The man begins to step into the light, and finally, Izuku turns to peer around Gang Orca. Best Jeanist makes the first move, tightening every fiber in the man's clothes, as Mt. Lady leans forward.

"Wait, Best Jeanist! What if he was just a citizen?"

"Think about the situation," Jeanist says. "That instant of hesitation could decide the fight. Don't let the villains do anything!"

"Now, I'll thank you to hand my son back over."

A flash of red and black light, and the world screams around them.

As the dust settles, Izuku can hear clapping.

"As expected of the Number Four hero, Best Jeanist. I thought I'd blown everyone away."

The world comes into focus and Izuku blinks several times in rapid succession as he takes in what's happening: his father, floating forward in midair, clapping slowly, with Best Jeanist laid out on the ground in front of him.

"To manipulate everyone's clothes and pull them away in an instant? That quick decision-making and skill—You must have nerves of steel."

Best Jeanist struggles to push himself up, and Izuku wants to say something, anything, but the hero's attacking, the fibers in his clothes shooting forward towards the man floating above—

There's nothing to be done, one of his father's many quirks drilling a hole into Best Jeanist's abdomen. The hero falls, blood seeping into his denim clothes.

"I see. This is strength from an extensive amount of practice and practical experience. I don't need _yours_… it's not a quirk that goes well with Tomura's disposition."

There's shifting—the heroes around him are beginning to regain consciousness as well.

They're not the only ones. A shifting of lights, a change in the harmonies is the precursor to another quirk brought to the forefront, this one a deep, murky green.

Izuku can feel when it activates on _him_. And even if he hadn't, he sure would be noticing the way _something_ seems to well up from inside him, a liquid, terrible and so similar to that day so many months ago, it wells up his throat and he chokes. His fingers brush over himself, ghost over his skin, plunge into the liquid, but nothing happens, he can do _nothing_ against this because his fingers are covered and the glove-cuffs are still on—

He chokes, and he stumbles forward, on the other side of the field, behind his father, as the League of Villains stumbles out of the black liquid around him. Dabi and Kurogiri are both unconscious, but all the others are awake and turning to glare at him. The rubble strewn over the ground is sharp, harsh against his bare feet, and his quirk is inaccessible for now, but he shifts into a fighting stance anyway, hands coming up to cover his chest as he glances around at the League.

No one moves to attack him, though.

Shigaraki is crouched, kneeling in front of Izuku—in front of, in front of _their_ father? There's a hand covering his face as he bows his head with a reverent "Master".

"You failed again, huh, Tomura?" The man lands, walks forward. "But do not be discouraged. Just try again. I have brought your associates back as well. And, of course, your brother." The man stops in front of Shigaraki and holds out a hand. "Do it over as many times as you need to. That is why I am here. It's all for you."

Shigaraki looks up. Izuku can't decipher the expression in his eyes—adoration? Worship? Reverence? Something passes, between master and apprentice, father and son, and…

Izuku's throat burns.

His father All For One turns away from Shigaraki. "You're here, after all, aren't you?" he murmurs.

Izuku follows his gaze, and he sees it. Like a shooting star, a meteor, a bright white light singing with all the intensities of a thousand choirs—

All Might is here.


	32. it's only illegal if you get caught

p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"strongem1-EYYYYY/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemKirishima Eijirou/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emI'm going to help Midoriya. I have a plan and a time and a place. Who's in?/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemJirou Kyouka/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emExcuse me, what the fuck?/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemI Cannot Stop Twinkling/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emShe Is Crude But She Has A Point~!/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemUrarara/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emI'm in/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemTsuyu/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emOchako, no/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemUrarara/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emOchako YES/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emI can't just stay home and do nothing if there's something I can do!/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemTsuyu/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emThe pros have a plan. I'm sure they do. We need to let them handle this./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemJirou Kyouka/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em^^^^^^^^/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemHagakure Tooru/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emI dunno… I think I agree with Uraraka? I want to DO something. I was stuck doing nothing at camp, and that SUCKED./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemKirishima Eijirou/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emRIGHT?/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emBeing told to stay put and do nothing when our friends were out there getting TARGETED was awful/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emI wish I could've done something them/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emSo I'm doing something now/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemTsuyu/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emSo you're going to break the law? How is that going to help at all?/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongem /em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemAlien Queen~~/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emIt's only illegal if you get caught/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemJirou Kyouka/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em…Okay, you have a point./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemTsuyu/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emNo, she doesn't. It's illegal either way, and a bad idea no matter how you look at it./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemAlien Queen~~/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emThere's no way my parents are letting me out of their sight anytime soon but best of luck on the rescue mission bro Kirishima Eijirou/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemKirishima Eijirou/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emThanks bro [thumbs up emoji]/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemTsuyu/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em Class Mom 3 Shiozaki Ibara/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemKirishima Eijirou/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em -ing them is not going to change my mind/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemTsuyu/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emI'm not trying to. I know you're stubborn./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemHagakure Tooru/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emI don't think my parents will let me go anywhere, either. I could sneak out, but… well… what if they come up to check on me and I'm just GONE? Midoriya just got kidnapped and the police have been saying that the League of Villains could come after us, still. I don't want to put them through that. Sorry, Kirishima [slightly frowning face]/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemKirishima Eijirou/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emIt's okay, Hagakure. I understand./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"strongem[DM between Asui Tsuyu and Tokoyami Fumikage]/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemAsui Tsuyu/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emTokoyami. We're friends, right?/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemTokoyami Fumikage/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emYes./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemAsui Tsuyu/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emPlease help me talk Kirishima and Uraraka into not sneaking off to rescue Midoriya./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemTokoyami Fumikage/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em…So that's what the activity in the group chat is about./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emOf course./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"strongem1-EYYYYY/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemUrarara/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em Tail-man/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;" align="right"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemShiozaki Ibara/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emThis is an incredibly terrible idea. You would be breaking the law, and what do you think would happen if you went on this "mission" and got hurt, or God forbid, killed? How do you think Midoriya would feel about that?/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"strongemUrarara/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"emThat's playing dirty/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;" align="right"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemTail-man/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emLow blow, Shiozaki/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emKirishima, count me in/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemShiozaki Ibara/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emJust please consider it. He wouldn't want you getting hurt for him./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemUrarara/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emWell he's not exactly here to tell us that right now, is he? I think he'd rather be RESCUED honestly/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;" align="right"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemShiozaki Ibara/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emIt's not a low blow if it's honest./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemJirou Kyouka/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emFucking. I'm muting this. Just. Be careful./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"strongem[DM between Jirou Kyouka and Ojiro Mashirao]/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemJirou Kyouka/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emYou're my friend too, okay?/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemOjiro Mashirao/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emOkay./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemJirou Kyouka/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emA lot of my friends have already been hurt/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemOjiro Mashirao/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emWe'll be careful/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemJirou Kyouka/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emFuck you./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"strongem1-EYYYYY/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"strongem /em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemCat Whisperer/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emUnless you have something important to tell the pros that could help them find Midoriya, then I think we all need to not involve ourselves./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemUrarara/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emWe're ALREADY INVOLVED/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemAlien Queen~~/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emDon't shout at Kouda!/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemCat Whisperer/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emWe were involved at the training camp. We are no longer there./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemTail-man/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emMy best friend is involved. That means I'm involved./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemTokoyami Fumikage/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emThis may be morbid, and I'm sure no one wants to consider this possibility, but what if you go off on this mission and Midoriya's already dead?/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemKirishima Eijirou/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emHe's not dead/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemBakugou Katsuki/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emIf the nerd's fucking dead then I'll bring him back to life and kill him myself/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemAlien Queen~~/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emBAKUGOU?/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemKirishima Eijirou/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em! Bakugou! Are you in?/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemBakugou Katsuki/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emFuck no/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emFuck you/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emGo get yourself killed or whatever, see if I care/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemAlien Queen~~/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emI think he cares/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemI Cannot Stop Twinkling/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emYou Cannot Convince Me That Is Caring/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemChargebolt/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emHey guys please don't be idiots. As patron saint of the dumbasses, I implore you not to be dumbasses right now./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemUrarara/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em? We're not being dumbasses/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemChargebolt/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emYeah you are. Mina back me up/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemAlien Queen~~/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emSure thing, Denki! As co-patron saint of the dumbasses, as much as I want to join in, you're probably being dumbasses right now and should stop!/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemKirishima Eijirou/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emSince when are the two of you on first-name basis?/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemChargebolt/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emMaybe I'd tell you if you weren't being a dumbass right now./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemKirishima Eijirou/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em…..DUDE/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emMina?/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemAlien Queen~~/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emSorry, Eiji. I really do want to help you, but… Maybe Shiozaki was right? What if you go and you just make everything worse?/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemKirishima Eijirou/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emWe won't./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemAlien Queen~~/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emBut how can you be sure? You're one of my best friends. Midoriya's my friend, too. And so is Uraraka, and Ojiro. What if all of you get hurt?/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemTokoyami Fumikage/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emYou could get yourselves and Midoriya killed pulling this stunt. Please, tell me why I should not alert the teachers right now./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemKirishima Eijirou/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emThey're too busy dealing with… everything?/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemTokoyami Fumikage/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emThat is not good enough./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemShouji Mezou/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emYou're all thinking with your feelings./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemUrarara/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emOkay and?/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemShouji Mezou/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emThink with your brain./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemUrarara/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emYOUR FEELINGS ARE PART OF YOUR BRAIN?/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemTsuyu/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emMy brain is telling me to turn you all over to the teachers right now./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemTail-man/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emI doubt they're watching their school emails./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemTokoyami Fumikage/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emIt would be negligent of them not to./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemTsuyu/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emWe all have Detective Tsukauchi's phone number, though. I'm sure he could get into contact with our teachers./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemUrarara/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emJust give us twelve hours to talk you around, okay? If we don't have a good reason for you in twelve hours, then you can tell on us. Okay?/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemTsuyu/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em…Okay./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemTokoyami Fumikage/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emVery well./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemSatou Rikido/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emThey may be okay with that, but I'm not. Kirishima. Come on. Remember what throwing ourselves head-first into a problem without a plan did for us in finals?/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemKirishima Eijirou/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emThis isn't finals./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemShiozaki Ibara/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emNo, it's real life, which means failure here is permanent. Failure here means death./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemKirishima Eijirou/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emI know that. I'm not going in and just… throwing myself at it without a plan. Okay? I've learned from finals. Improving from my mistakes. I'm doing that, okay?/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemSatou Rikido/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emOkay./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemShiozaki Ibara/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emTwelve hours, Kirishima. You have twelve hours to convince us./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"strongemSquad/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"strongem[Uraraka Ochako was added by Kirishima Eijirou]/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"strongem /em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemTodoroki Shouto/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emI'm not sure Yaoyorozu will listen to me, though/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemKirishima Eijirou/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emYou're friends, aren't you?/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemTodoroki Shouto/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em…Not really./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemUraraka Ochako/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emWait, TODOROKI? You're in, too?/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;" align="right"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemTodoroki Shouto/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emYes/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemUraraka Ochako/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emSo what is the plan?/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;" align="right"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemKirishima Eijirou/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emTodoroki and I, when we were heading to the hospital to visit Yaoyorozu yesterday, overheard her telling a detective and All Might about putting a tracker on a Noumu in the forest, and she gave them a signal receiver for it. If we have her make us a receiver, then we can go rescue Midoriya!/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemUraraka Ochako/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emOkay!/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"strongem /em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"strongem[Ojiro Mashirao was added by Kirishima Eijirou]/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemTodoroki Shouto/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emThree becomes four./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemOjiro Mashirao/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emTodoroki?/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemKirishima Eijirou/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emWhy is everyone surprised about Todoroki being here?/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemOjiro Mashirao/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emI wasn't expecting him to care/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemTodoroki Shouto/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emFuck you/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemUraraka Ochako/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emHe did let us fry eggs on him, so he can't be all bad/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;" align="right"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemKirishima Eijirou/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emWHAT/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemOjiro Mashirao/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em?/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emI can't believe that/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemTodoroki Shouto/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emI did do that, yes/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemKirishima Eijirou/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emWHAAAAAT/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemUraraka Ochako/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emMr. Aizawa caught us. I thought for sure he was going to expel us on the spot./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;" align="right"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemTodoroki Shouto/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emHe didn't, for some reason/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemKirishima Eijirou/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emI can see that!/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emIt's good to have you on the team, Ojiro/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemOjiro Mashirao/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emYeah/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emListen, I'm going to add Roka from 1-B and Shinsou and Nakano from 1-C. They're Izuku's friends and they deserve to know what's up, too./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemKirishima Eijirou/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emRoka was one of the 1-B students still unconscious from the gas, last I checked/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemOjiro Mashirao/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emFine then. Just Shinsou and Nakano./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemTodoroki Shouto/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emShinsou was the one who called me bitch in the Sports Festival…/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemOjiro Mashirao/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emYes?/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemTodoroki Shouto/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emAdd him/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"strongem[Nakano Wakana was added by Ojiro Mashirao]/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"strongem[Shinsou Hitoshi was added by Ojiro Mashirao]/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongem /em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemShinsou Hitoshi/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emfuck you ojiro i was asleep/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemNakano Wakana/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emYou were active in the groupchat five minutes ago?/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemShinsou Hitoshi/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emi was asleep in my soul. what is this. Ojiro Mashirao explain/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemKirishima Eijirou/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emWe're setting up a rescue mission for Midoriya and he thought we should loop you in./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"strongem[Nakano Wakana left]/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"strongem /em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemShinsou Hitoshi/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emwow/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emfirst years/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emsetting up a rescue mission/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emthat's going to go so well/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemKirishima Eijirou/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emWe can't just sit around and do nothing!/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemShinsou Hitoshi/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emfuck you. you're going to get midoriya killed. i hope you get fucking expelled for this./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"strongem[Shinsou Hitoshi left]/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"strongem /em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemTodoroki Shouto/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em…/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emHe may have a point. If we are going to do this, then we will listen to Yaoyorozu. She will have final say on any move we make./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongem /em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemKirishima Eijirou/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em!? DID SHE SAY YES?/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemTodoroki Shouto/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emShe's giving me her terms right now/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emNevermind, she can give them to you herself/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"strongem[Yaoyorozu Momo was added by Todoroki Shouto]/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongem /em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemYaoyorozu Momo/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emHere are the rules: we will not engage the enemy. WE WILL NOT GET INTO A FIGHT. If it looks like we may get into a fight, we turn around and LEAVE. No matter what, if I say something, you listen to me and you OBEY ME. We can get away with doing this legally, but if AND ONLY IF you listen to me. Understand?/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemTodoroki Shouto/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emYes/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemUraraka Ochako/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emGot it!/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemOjiro Mashirao/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emOf course/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemKirishima Eijirou/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emYes ma'am!/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emOjiro, do we need to worry about either of your friends telling on us?/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemOjiro Mashirao/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em…I don't think so? As long as we do it before they decide to tell./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemKirishima Eijirou/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emI was planning on tonight, anyways/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemYaoyorozu Momo/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emDo you have any idea how little time that truly is? We don't even have time for recon, Kirishima. RECON!/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;" align="right"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemTodoroki Shouto/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emOh no. We don't have time for recon. Guess we should just give up right now./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemYaoyorozu Momo/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emYes, exactly./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemKirishima Eijirou/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emDon't you dare drop out on me now, Todoroki!/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemTodoroki Shouto/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em…That was sarcasm. I was being sarcastic./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemKirishima Eijirou/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emMan, I literally cannot tell when you're being sarcastic. You've got this whole straight face thing going on the entire time./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemTodoroki Shouto/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emThis is a text chain./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemOjiro Mashirao/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emCan we FOCUS?/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemUraraka Ochako/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emYes, please. Let's start with where and when we're meeting up?/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;" align="right"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemKirishima Eijirou/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emTonight. Outside the hospital Momo's at./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemYaoyorozu Momo/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emWe'll leave at 20:00 sharp. Be there or get left behind./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemKirishima Eijirou/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emYes ma'am/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemTodoroki Shouto/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emUnderstood/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemUraraka Ochako/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emGot it/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;" align="right"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemOjiro Mashirao/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emOkay/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemKirishima Eijirou/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em Yaoyorozu Momo Some backup in the 1-A chat? Tokoyami is threatening to tell the teachers!/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemYaoyorozu Momo/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emWhy shouldn't he?/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemUraraka Ochako/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emYou already agreed to help. You already said that, as long as we listen to you, things will turn out, right?/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemYaoyorozu Momo/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emI said they might not be illegal. You convince them./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemUraraka Ochako/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emFuck you/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemYaoyorozu Momo/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em…Uraraka, you are on thin ice./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemUraraka Ochako/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em[folded hands] I am so sorry Yaoyorozu. I didn't mean it. [folded hands]/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemYaoyorozu Momo/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emI know you're just saying this because you think I won't help you if you don't. It's okay, though./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemUraraka Ochako/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emNonono I do mean it! Okay? I'm just… super worried and upset and anxious and what if Tokoyami's right? What if he is dead?/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemOjiro Mashirao/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emNo he's not./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemTodoroki Shouto/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emThat's optimistic./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemKirishima Eijirou/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emSo?/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemOjiro Mashirao/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emWhy would they go to the trouble of taking him from camp just to kill him?/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemTodoroki Shouto/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emI don't know. They're villains./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemYaoyorozu Momo/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emEven villains have motivations./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemUraraka Ochako/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em[downcast face with sweat] [weary face] I cannot believe that worked./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemKirishima Eijirou/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emUraraka, you GODDESS./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"em /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"strongem1-EYYYYY/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongemsticky boy tape man/em/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"emWow I miss everything when I'm napping, huh/em/p 


	33. we are in SO much trouble

p class="MsoNormal""I'll have you return everything, All For One!"/p  
p class="MsoNormal""Will you kill me again, All Might?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Izuku and the villains around him brace themselves, arms coming up to shield their faces from the intense winds blowing out from where All Might and All For One have met in battle. The winds strengthen, enough to blow everyone back and off their feet./p  
p class="MsoNormal"He lands, tucking into a roll to protect himself, and comes up on his feet. The dust stings his eyes and he turns, back and forth, trying to catch sight of the League./p  
p class="MsoNormal""You're pretty late. It's a little more than five kilometers from the bar to here. It was easily thirty seconds after I sent the Noumus that you arrived. You've gotten weaker, All Might."/p  
p class="MsoNormal""What about you? What's with that industrial mask you've got on? Aren't you overexerting yourself?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"The dust clears, blown away by the residual winds from the clash so that Izuku can see the two titans facing each other./p  
p class="MsoNormal""I won't make the same mistake as I did six years ago, All For One! I will take Young Midoriya back! And this time, I will throw you in prison for sure, along with all of your League of Villains as well!"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"With his declaration, All Might leaps forward, one fist drawn back to punch./p  
p class="MsoNormal"All For One raises a hand./p  
p class="MsoNormal""There's so much to do. It'll be tough for both of us." A crackle of red and black up his arm, a shift as more quirks come to the front, and All For One repels All Might's attack, throwing him back into a building./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Air Cannon plus Springlike Limbs, Kinetic Booster times four, Strength Enhancer times three. This combination is fun. Maybe I'll try to add a few more enhancer-types."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Izuku can barely breath. "All Might?" he whispers, flinching back as All For One turns around./p  
p class="MsoNormal""He won't die from something like that," the man says, a self-assured smirk in his voice. "So run away from here, Tomura, and take your brother with you."/p  
p class="MsoNormal""Not brothers," Izuku growls, and he can feel Shigaraki's red-eyed glare on him, even as All For One raises a hand, red and black covering his fingers./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Talons—so much like Moonfish's teeth—extend from the tips of All For One's fingers, spanning the gap between the man and the unconscious Kurogiri, burying themselves in his chest./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Now that he's truly looking, Kurogiri's quirk looks emwrong/em. There's two colors to it, swirling light blue mixing with a dark, shimmering purple, and Izuku's new to his quirk-sensing ability but he has yet to see multiple colors on anything except the Noumu and All For One./p  
p class="MsoNormal"But he shelves that thought for now, because those talons are buried in Kurogiri's chest./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Kurogiri, get everyone away from here."/p  
p class="MsoNormal""Hey, wait!" That's the red-haired villain, the one who fought Tiger. She steps in between All For One and Kurogiri. "He's unconscious! I'm not sure what's going on, but if you can use Warp, then you should get us away!"/p  
p class="MsoNormal""I just got mine, Magne. On top of only being able to transport short distances, unlike his coordinate transport, I can only bring people to me or away from me. And, I can only send them away to someone I am very familiar with. So, I'll have Kurogiri do it."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"With that, Kurogiri emexplodes/em into a warp gate./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Forcible Quirk Activation," All For One says. "Now go!"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Shigaraki turns back towards him. "Master, what…"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"The sound of someone taking off nearby draws everyone's attention. All Might has shot up from where he'd landed, and turns midair, coming back down for All For One./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Think constantly, Tomura. You still have much more room to grow!"/p  
p class="MsoNormal""I won't let you get away!"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Shigaraki is left, staring up at his master as All For One and All Might clash again./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Let's go, Shigaraki!" That's Compress, crouching down to collect Dabi into one of his marbles. "While that pipe mask has All Might occupied! Get your brother!"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"The whole league turns to face Izuku, and he sinks back into his fighting stance. Shigaraki's turning, looking at him. Something between a smile and a sneer crosses his face./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Yes," he says. "My embrother/em."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Izuku grits his teeth. He can hear All Might call his name, just for a moment, but he can't take his attention off the waiting villains./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Toga and Twice attack first, and it's all Izuku can do to dodge. If he can just disarm Toga, grab one of her knives… He may not be familiar with it, but it would still be a weapon, still be better than fighting bare-footed, weaponless and quirkless./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Six against one—/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Footsteps, and Izuku ducks underneath Compress's hand. He can't let this fight be drawn out, he needs to find an opening to escape, and whatever he does, he emcannot/em let Compress touch him./p  
p class="MsoNormal"He dodges Twice again, whirling around the grey-skinned woman—emRarewater/em, if he remembers right—as she tries to kick his back. As he ducks and dodges, he catches glimpses of the clash between All Might and All For One, and he realizes something./p  
p class="MsoNormal"All Might can't fight while he's here. All Might won't be able to go all-out until Izuku and the League are gone, one way or another./p  
p class="MsoNormal"He ducks Toga's knife, kicks her knee, knocks her down and grabs her wrist. He twists, and with a cry of pain she drops the knife. He scrambles to pick it up, turning and slicing Compress's hand as the magician reaches for him. Compress hisses and recoils and Izuku darts away between him and Rarewater./p  
p class="MsoNormal"His feet are torn and bleeding from fighting on rocks and rubble, but he can't stop, he needs to put some distance between them, he just needs a moment to emthink/em—/p  
p class="MsoNormal"The temperature drops and a wall of ice snakes around, cutting Izuku off from the villains./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Todoroki? He turns towards the origin point of the ice to see Ochako and Mashirao flying towards him, holding each other (what in the emhell/em are they emwearing/em), and Ochako reaches out. Meters away, All For One turns, an attempt to intercept, but All Might is there, demanding the villain's attention./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Izuku reaches back, and her hand locks around his, snaking down to find bare skin to press all five fingers to. His stomach lurches as he goes weightless, the light pink glow of her quirk covering his skin as a spike of ice rises up beneath their feet, pushing them skyward. Mashirao's tail smacks down, and the three of them kick off the iceberg together, flying through the air./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Izuku glances back just in time to see the wall of ice falling apart, a combination of Shigaraki's quirk and Rarewater tearing through it. Twice and Compress are glowing blue in Magne's hands, and then—oh./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Compress is flying through the air, towards them, faster than they're moving away./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Mt. Lady is there. Growing giant in the space of a few seconds, she intercepts, Compress smacking into her face./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Mt. Lady!" Ochako cries as the hero falls./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Prioritize… the rescue!" Mt. Lady orders. "Go, you stupid kids!"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Magne says something, gesturing to the others around her, but Izuku is out of earshot and there's another hero there, intercepting them anyways./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Izuku… my belt…grappling gun!"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"He can't make out every word that Ochako says, but he hears the important parts and reaches for the shiny black gun sitting on her belt./p  
p class="MsoNormal""I need both hands!" he yells back as he pulls the gun from its holster. There's quirk residue on it, a shimmering, iridescent white that reminds him of—emYaoyorozu./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Ochako shifts her grip, her hand fisting in his hoodie as he pulls his right arm out from her shoulder. They're rising, still rising, and as he aims the grappling gun at a rooftop below he hopes it's long enough, that his aim is good enough…/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Inhale./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Exhale./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Fire./p  
p class="MsoNormal"It catches, the hook burying itself in the material of the roof. He presses a button on the grip, and it starts reeling them in. They separate, tucking and rolling onto the roof as Ochako releases her quirk and doubles over, puking./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Oh my god." That's Mashirao. "Izuku."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"He doesn't resist at all as Mashirao's arms encircle him, instead melting into the embrace and wrapping his own arms around the taller boy's torso, dropping the grappling gun in the process./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Oh… Oh, emIzuku/em," that's Ochako, and he feels her hand, warm against his as she inspects the glove-cuffs./p  
p class="MsoNormal"A boom startles all of them, Mashirao and Izuku falling apart as they whirl around to look, just in time to get wind in their eyes./p  
p class="MsoNormal""We, we need to get off this roof," Izuku says, crouching down to pick up the grappling gun. "Ochako, can you, can you use your quirk on us again? And I'll bring us back to the sidewalk."/p  
p class="MsoNormal""Mhm!" Ochako nods, giving him a thumbs-up. She touches Mashirao and then herself. Izuku walks to the edge of the roof, pulling the two of them behind him. "Izuku, can I touch your arm to use my quirk?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"He nods, holding out his left arm. "Wait until I've taken the shot, though." She nods and pushes up his sleeve, holding his forearm with one hand, pinky finger up, while she clutches his upper arm with her other hand. Mashirao is clinging to his other arm. They're outside of the evacuation zone, which means the streets are crowded with people fleeing from the fight. He needs to be careful with his aim, because the grappling gun could kill someone if he hits them with it./p  
p class="MsoNormal"His eyes scan the street, cataloguing and discarding options and ideas. The wind is strong, threatening to blow them away, but Mashirao's tail is wrapped around a pipe, holding himself down, and Ochako is sheltered on the leeward side of Izuku, almost untouched by the wind./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Found it. Ochako, release your quirk on my signal," he says, taking aim and shooting at a building across the street. The hook buries itself in the bottom corner of the second story, right beside the opening of an empty alleyway. Ochako activates her quirk on him and he hits the retract button as he goes weightless again. They fly through the air, subject to wide-eyed gazes and shouts from the crowd./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Ochako, now!" he yells, and she taps her fingers together as they fly into the alleyway, rolling to a stop on the concrete surface. Mashirao has some spots of road rash on his tail and they're all a little dizzy and Ochako's throwing up again, but they're not dead and they're not seriously injured./p  
p class="MsoNormal"He hands the grappling gun back to Ochako, and she holsters it as a couple of people run into the alley with them./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Hey! What's going on? Are you okay?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Izuku keeps his head down as Ochako replies./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Yes, we're okay," she replies./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Hey, wait! Aren't you some of the U.A. first years who were involved in the camp attack?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal""Don't you think there are bigger things to be worrying about right now?" Izuku asks as another boom shakes the city. One of the strangers yelps and covers her head./p  
p class="MsoNormal""The two of you need to get somewhere safe," Mashirao adds. "Take care of yourselves. Like you said: we're hero students! We can take care of ourselves."/p  
p class="MsoNormal""If—if you're sure," one of the strangers says before the two of them turn and run out of the alley./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Ochako sighs. "Phew. That was close! Come on. We should get you to a police station."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Mashirao and Ochako begin pulling him to his feet until Mashirao pauses./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Wait," he says. "Izuku, I'm going to carry you—Uraraka, look at his feet."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"She does, and she gasps. "Oh. Oh no. That's—That's emright/em, he was fighting the League, barefoot, on that rubble."/p  
p class="MsoNormal""Are you okay with me carrying you? Izuku?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Oh, that's right. He's being asked a question. He blinks, ignoring the way Mashirao's eyes go wide when he looks at him./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Yeah, no, that's fine," he replies, his words starting to slur together. There's darkness pressing in at the corners of his vision, but, but he can't… he's emso tired/em but he can't pass out now. The ground falls away and, no, that's just Mashirao, crouching down and picking Izuku up on his back./p  
p class="MsoNormal"He's glad his friend isn't carrying him bridal style. His fingers curl and clench at the white fabric of Mashirao's vest and the three of them slip into the flow of civilians fleeing the clash of titans behind them./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Should, should we take him to a hospital instead, you think?" Ochako asks. Izuku feels Mashirao's shoulders shrug, up and down, underneath him./p  
p class="MsoNormal""The hospitals are… they're probably going to be flooded, with this kind of fight," Mashirao replies. Izuku nods, slowly, his hair brushing against Mashirao's neck./p  
p class="MsoNormal""So… Police station, then," Ochako says, jumping as her phone dings. She pulls it out of the pocket of her pants—she's wearing a blue blazer with white jeans, white jeans that are now covered in dirt, oops—and checks it. "It's Yaoyorozu. They got away safely and want to meet up." She glances at Izuku and Mashirao. "I think we should. Safety—Safety in numbers and all that, right?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Izuku nods./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Yeah, I agree," Mashirao says. "We'll meet up with them and then head to a station. They'll want to get all our statements after all, right? Might as well do them now."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Ochako sighs, nodding. "We are in emso/em much trouble."/p  
p class="MsoNormal""I'd do it again in a heartbeat, though," Mashirao replies, and Izuku feels a pressure in his chest that's so unlike anything he's felt in the past few days. He presses his hands into Mashirao's chest and leans his chin on his friend's shoulder, screwing his eyes up tight and trying not to cry./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Ochako's hand on his arm, pinky finger gently lifted, snaps his attention to her, and she smiles as soon as his gaze lands on her. "I would, too," she says./p  
p class="MsoNormal"He can't hold back the tears anymore, and he buries his face in Mashirao's neck as his shoulders begin to shake, again, and the tears start to fall, again./p  
p class="MsoNormal"His tears have mostly dried up by the time he hears three voices calling their names. He glances up to see Yaoyorozu, Todoroki, and Kirishima running forward./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Midoriya," Yaoyorozu gasps. "I—You—I'm so glad you're, you're emsafe/em," she says./p  
p class="MsoNormal""We need to get to the nearest police station," Mashirao says. "Yaoyorozu, do you know where it is?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal""Oh, uh," Yaoyorozu glances around for a moment. "Yes, I think I do." She's wearing a pink dress, and… Oh. Oh, they're all wearing disguises./p  
p class="MsoNormal""You all look like delinquents," he slurs, blinking twice as Todoroki looks at him./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Yes. That was the idea," Todoroki replies./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Yaoyorozu leads the way, Kirishima next to her and helping push people out of the way, making a path for Mashirao and Izuku while Ochako and Todoroki follow behind./p  
p class="MsoNormal"They don't make it very far as Kirishima freezes./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Look!" he points to one of the screens over the square. "They're—someone's catching the fight between All Might and that villain on camera!"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Sure enough, there's aerial footage being broadcast, showing All Might and All For One clashing, over and over, until—/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Izuku recognizes the form of, of… of the man All Might is? His brain isn't working like it should, exhaustion is dragging at his limbs, but he recognizes that form…/p  
p class="MsoNormal"They watch the final blow, they watch All Might raise his fist in the air, they listen as the people in the square around them burst out cheering./p  
p class="MsoNormal""We need to keep moving," Mashirao hisses, nudging Yaoyorozu, who twitches and nods./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Kirishima," she says, grabbing the red-haired boy's arm. He looks over at her. "We need to go."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Kirishima nods and takes the lead, listening to Yaoyorozu's instructions as he pushes through the crowd. It feels like it takes forever to shove their way through, but finally, inevitably, they do, and the streets away from the square are slightly less packed. Yaoyorozu guides them, taking them the shortest route./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Izuku fights off unconsciousness the entire time. It takes… fifteen? Twenty? Thirty minutes? Izuku's not sure. It takes some amount of time to get to the police station, Yaoyorozu opening the door and allowing for the five other teens following her to file inside./p  
p class="MsoNormal"The beat cop at the front desk, busy on the phone, glances over and then emdrops/em the phone. His eyes widen as he scrambles to pick it back up./p  
p class="MsoNormal""I-I'm sorry, sir, I'll have to place you on hold," he says before setting the phone back down and turning to the teenagers. "Is, is that—"/p  
p class="MsoNormal""Midoriya Izuku," Yaoyorozu says, nodding./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Uh, go upstairs, top floor," the cop says, pointing at the elevator. "They, they'll get in contact with the detective in charge of the investigation."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Yaoyorozu nods and leads the group forward, through the maze of desks to the elevator. All six of them pile in, fitting with just a little room to spare, and Kirishima presses the button for the fifth floor./p  
p class="MsoNormal"When the doors open, someone wearing a captain's uniform is already there, her hands clasped behind her back./p  
p class="MsoNormal""I've already contacted Detective Tsukauchi," she says. She's tiny, shorter than all of them, but she has a commanding presence that keeps all six teenagers quiet and sharp golden eyes that seem to catch every motion. "My name is Captain Hatsume. Some of my detectives will take your preliminary statements until he gets here. Itou, Kobayashi," two detectives stand and walk over, "use the briefing room."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Itou, an old man with two small, curled horns on his head, nods, while the junior, Kobayashi, a tall woman with sharp black nails strides over to the briefing room./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Follow me," Itou says, and the teenagers proceed to follow him into the briefing room. Kobayashi's already set up six chairs in a loose arc, opposite a table with two chairs./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Why didn't you take him to a emhospital/em?" Kobayashi asks, raising her eyebrows when she catches a glimpse of Izuku's feet as Mashirao sets him down on a chair./p  
p class="MsoNormal""We figured they would all be flooded from the fight," Mashirao replies, sitting down on one side of Izuku while Ochako takes the other. Todoroki sits next to Ochako, with Yaoyorozu on his other side, while Kirishima sit next to Mashirao./p  
p class="MsoNormal""I'll go get first aid stuff," Itou grumbles, leaving the briefing room as Kobayashi sits down at the table, a notebook in front of her and a pen in her right hand./p  
p class="MsoNormal""To start, I need all of you to state your names."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"They go down the row, starting from Yaoyorozu, and do so./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Kobayashi is thorough, starting with the five members of the rescue squad. Itou returns after a couple minutes, a large medkit in his hands. Kobayashi stands and takes the medkit while Itou takes over questioning. She shoves Izuku's chair forwards so she can put his feet up on the table and lays out a towel underneath them. The statement-taking continues, even though Kobayashi and Izuku are now in the middle of it./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Holy shit, kid," she mutters, holding Izuku's foot still as she washes the scrapes and gouges out with saline. "There's rocks in here." She has tweezers, which she wipes down with an alcohol wipe before picking out the bits and pieces of gravel from the cuts. He just leans back and tries to block out the stinging, even as Mashirao and Ochako scoot their chairs forward and hold his hands in theirs./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Tsukauchi is the next to arrive, wearing a bulletproof vest and missing his usual trench coat and hat. The captain of the precinct opens the door to the briefing room to let him in, and Kobayashi and Itou both pause. Izuku's feet have long-since been seen to and are now wrapped in bandages, and he, Mashirao, and Ochako have moved their chairs back to the arc./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Detective Tsukauchi," Itou says, dipping his head./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Detective Itou, good to see you again," Tsukauchi says. "I've already called Midoriya's mother and she's on her way over."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Itou nods. "Good. We were in the middle of taking their statements for… how they came upon Midoriya," he says. "Will you be joining us?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Tsukauchi glances over the group of teenagers and shakes his head. "I'll be taking Midoriya's full statement, though, after he's rested…" the detective pauses, glancing at Izuku's hands. "What are those?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal""We assume those were placed on him to prevent him from using his quirk," Kobayashi says, and Izuku nods. "Skeleton's already on her way over, she'll take a look at them and try to come up with the key for them. They're beyond any of our skill to pick."/p  
p class="MsoNormal""Okay." Tsukauchi nods. "I have other statements to be taking, so I'll leave the six of them in your hands for now."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"And with that, he leaves./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Izuku drifts, barely able to pay attention to the statements being given around them. At one point he is aware of Yaoyorozu quoting what seems to be like half a lawbook at the detectives in a way that has them shrugging and nodding and agreeing with her./p  
p class="MsoNormal"He does notice when Ochako calls for a break and helps him wash his face. He would be embarrassed, but, well, he doesn't have the energy to be./p  
p class="MsoNormal"And then his mom's there, and so are Kayama and Fukukado, and it's all he can do not to pass out right then and there. People are talking around him, someone's messing with his hands, and then Kayama's picking him up, and then he finally, finally passes out sometime between the precinct and Fukukado's car./p 


End file.
